Tops on the list of things that I wanted to see in the 2009 Economic Stimulus bill – but did not expect to see – was more spending on education. The New York Times reports that the plan includes a stunning $150 billion in federal education spending, which more than doubles the current education budget.
As is their political nature, and in their perpetual push to undermine the public school system – and perhaps ultimately to forsake it completely in favor of private or parochial schools – many Republican members of Congress are opposed to this provision. Fortunately for the schools, and for the children, they probably will not be able to stop it.
However, as much as I disagree with Republicans and social conservatives of any party on what’s necessary to improve education in the United States, I may agree that spending alone is not a fix. Spending in any sector, as the Wall Street collapse has proven, requires rigorous oversight.
This would be another place where I disagree with Republicans, as I am certain most of them would rather leave all educational matters to the jurisdiction of the states. Nevermind that the states have had jurisdiction all this time and have proven themselves in many cases – like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and many southern states – to be unworthy of the responsibility.
Corruption is everywhere, and the education sector is no exception. From little crimes like low-level school administrators pocketing money intended to go towards programs and technology, to the larger scale offenses of companies like Edison sucking the money out of Philadelphia’s education budget only to effect absolutely no improvements, the public education system needs a watchful eye to ensure that all efforts are focused on improving the quality of our schools.
So I hope that this education stimulus is not merely another instance of throwing money at a problem, but a signal from President Obama that more attention will be paid to improving education nationwide. It is vital that every penny of the $150 billion be tracked and accounted for if the stimulus is to have any lasting effect.
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