<p>$65.7 billion in fiscal year 2013 for education versus $526.6 billion for defense.</p>
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<p>The biggest factor is probably the unfunded federal mandate for special education.</p>
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<p>This.</p>
<p>Xiggi, you seem very passionate about effecting change so what are you doing about it besides talking about it on message board?</p>
<p>^^</p>
<p>The beauty of an anonymous board is that such question is better left unanswered. However, I’d think that people who know me in real life would tell you that the answer to your question ought to be a rather simple … PLENTY. </p>
<p>I wish I could have done more, but I have tried.</p>
<p>Why is it best left unanswered? You seem smart. I am sure you could write about what you have done in such as way as to remain anonymous.</p>
<p>The piranha pool, that’s why.</p>
<p>xiggi–you mean you did not single-handedly solve the “education crisis?” Slacker! emilybee-- tell him what you did to fix it! That would show him for good.</p>
<p>Jeesch, excuse me for asking someone who seems to have a fairly in depth knowledge on the topic and very specific solutions about what he believes needs to be done. </p>
<p>I am curious since I was a public policy analyst and lobbyist, though education policy was not my field of expertise.</p>
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<p>A rather silly factoid, which is beneath the level of the discussion so far. The Constitution clearly assigns the function of defense to the federal government. No such assignment occurs for education.</p>
<p>But, fwiw, California alone spends $40-50B on education every year. (And that is because education is part of the State Constitution.)</p>
<p>Fair point - but there is nothing prohibiting federal expenditures on education, and it’s my opinion that we don’t spend nearly enough on education and way too much on defense.</p>
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When u look at education spending at all gov’t levels, it well exceeds defense spending. There is hardly any defense spending on the state & local level.</p>
<p>On the federal level, healthcare spending & SS, each, exceed defense spending.</p>
<p>On the federal level, healthcare spending & SS, each, exceed defense spending.</p>
<p>Yes, so?</p>
<p>GMT- would you consider spending on police and prisons a form of defense spending?</p>
<p>There’s a lot of things per pupil performance can be attributed to but I’m not aware of a firm tie to spending. </p>
<p>Matter of fact, I don’t think there’s enough of a connection to even bring it up.</p>
<p>Was education better when the majority of the smart women were relegated to being nurses or teachers? It sure kept the cost of medical care and education lower.</p>
<p>Emilybee: “Fair point - but there is nothing prohibiting federal expenditures on education, and it’s my opinion that we don’t spend nearly enough on education and way too much on defense.”</p>
<p>There is the 10th amendment but that’s easily ignored.</p>
<p>^Article 1, Section 8 </p>
<p>[The</a> History Of Federal Government In Public Education: Where Have We Been And How Did We Get Here? | League of Women Voters](<a href=“http://www.lwv.org/content/history-federal-government-public-education-where-have-we-been-and-how-did-we-get-here]The”>http://www.lwv.org/content/history-federal-government-public-education-where-have-we-been-and-how-did-we-get-here)</p>
<p>I recall reading Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron as a kid. What is the appropriate collective goal of education? Do you assist the two extremes and let the middle fend for themselves?</p>
<p>Is it possible to not leave any student behind? Can the federal government actually overcome or even counterbalance negative family and personal circumstances of the student with compulsory primary and secondary educational policy?</p>
<p>With 50 states struggling with the issues, can anyone point to a program that has a truly representative student population that produces the desired educational outcome near 100% of the time?</p>
<p>Near 100% of the time? Not possible, but given the same demographic, Catholic schools do a much better job of educating kids than public schools.</p>
<p>[Why</a> Catholic Schools Spell Success For America’s Inner-CityChildren](<a href=“http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/1997/06/why-catholic-schools-spell-success-for-americas-inner-city-children]Why”>http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/1997/06/why-catholic-schools-spell-success-for-americas-inner-city-children)</p>
<p>Emilybee: "^Article 1, Section 8 </p>
<p>The History Of Federal Government In Public Education: Where Have We Been And How Did We Get Here? | League of Women Voters"</p>
<p>I just read Article 1 Section 8. There is nothing about education or prohibiting the states from providing it. When I noted that the 10th amendment was easily ignored it is because it has been essentially from our founding. The article you posted is the history of our courts ignoring the 10th amendment. It is a long and storied history.</p>