Flunking Education

The Department of Education has finally run its course:

The Education Department has spent trillions on education in 45 years. Literally. Many other trillions have been spent by states and localities. And what has America got in return? More teachers, more administrators and dumber kids. Fewer and fewer of our students can read or count at their grade level. In global rankings we come in 36th in math and 13th in reading. Our minority and poor kids are the biggest victims. Trapped in terrible city schools, too often they “graduate” with zero skills and no future except as a lookout for a drug gang. The bureaucrats at the Education Department have slightly increased the number of poor students who get access to college and special programs, but it’s been at a huge cost. It’s not just the money they’ve wasted. They’ve protected a rigid and outdated system of schooling and done nothing innovative or revolutionary to help our kids get smarter or give parents more choices.

They should no longer be rewarded for failure...