Since 1979, the U.S. Department of Education has invested over $3 trillion, yet the returns on this hefty investment are disturbingly low. Despite a staggering 245% increase in per-pupil spending during this time, student achievement remains largely stagnant:
- Math and reading scores for 13-year-olds have plummeted to the lowest levels in decades.
- Six out of ten fourth graders and nearly three-quarters of eighth graders are not proficient in math.
- Seventy percent of fourth and eighth graders are not proficient in reading, with 40% of fourth graders failing to meet even the basic reading standards.
- Standardized test scores have remained unchanged for decades, indicating a systemic stagnation.
- U.S. students rank 28th out of 37 OECD countries in math performance.
President Donald J. Trump and his administration assert that we can — and must — do better.
Rather than perpetuating a failing status quo, the Trump Administration proposes a transformative shift that would return educational oversight to the states, which are better equipped to tailor programs and services to their diverse populations and needs.
In place of a cumbersome federal bureaucracy that inundates schools with regulations and red tape, the administration envisions a landscape where states are empowered to foster educational freedom and opportunities for all families.
Why persist in repeating the same actions while expecting different outcomes?
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