The Federal Government’s Role in Public Education

Dr. Benjamin Rush was a physician in colonial Philadelphia and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He wrote a treatise in 1786 observing that if the fledgling nation, the United States of America, were to survive; it would need an educated population.( For  more information about Dr. Rush and education see my blog of August 26,2012). Thomas Jefferson, our country’s third President also noted the importance of education to fuel the American economy. Interestingly enough, there is nothing in the Constitution of the United States about the education of its citizens. In fact there are no education requirements to run for President of the United States. That meant that public education fell under the Tenth Amendment, which basically stated that anything not specifically the purview of the federal government was under the control of the individual states. That meant that we had 50 state departments of education, 50 state certification requirements and 50 (or more) curriculums for public school children.

The role of the federal governmnet in education changed with the launching of Sputnik, the first satellite by the Soviet Union in 1957. The US discovered it was woefully behind in science and math as well as the number of students entering colleges and universities. In 1958, President Eisenhower signed the National Defense Education ACT which provided funding for college students majoring in science and math and other major critical to national defense.

The second government incursion into public education came under the Johnson Administration. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was authorized in 1965 as part of the “War on Poverty.” The legislation allowed for funding at both the elementary and secondary levels. The monies could be used for professional development, instructional materials, for resources to support educational programs, and for parental involvement promotion. The use of the funds for creating a national curriculum was specifically prohibited.

The third set of laws regarding public education where enacted under the presidency of George W. Bush. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was enacted in 2001 with multiple provisions. It required that all teachers be deemed “highly qualified” in the subject they taught. The law established parameters for yearly progress of each school district based upon, among other things, student performance on standardized tests (AYP).

The most recent federal government effort to involve itself in public education in this country is the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). This program begun by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and the Obama administration is an initiative to establish high standards in English and mathematics nationwide. The hope is that this effort will enable American students to be prepared to function in the new global economy.  It is hoped that the skills to be developed via these standards will extend classroom knowledge into real-world applications. For more information about this initiative and sample questions go to www.parcconline.org.

Despite your interpretation of the Constitution, federal government involvemnet in education is here and plans to stay for the foreseeable future.

c. 2013 J. Margolis