Bush may have mandated certain educational goals, but this was another Republican un-funded mandate.

In spelling class Republicans spell "accountability" t-e-s-t-i-n-g. This converts into teaching for a test and ignoring any and everything else.

When you say, "We put men on the Moon without a Federal Department of Education." You are absolutely correct. However, it did take NASA which is also a federal agency to do that feat.

I do see where you are going and I am a supporter of English as the official language of the US. I don't want to poison the waters but by leaning in this direction you are putting yourself in the liberal position of S.I. Hiyakawa and Noam Chomsky.

Education should be a local responsibility and federal aid should go to those communities that are failing to meet the obligations. Some new approaches to funding must be met to relieve the burden being placed on ad valorum taxation.

This is an area where varying political perspectives must be able to come together for the common good. This requires leadership that reduces the focus on decisive issues.

We probably don't disagree very much on education as an issue.

Publius