Quote:
Originally Posted by Azure
So the federal government has 'nothing' to do with it, outside of perhaps funding it?
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Very little actually. The elementary and secondary school systems are locally governed through locally elected school boards. These boards administer funding, curriculum, and all policies that could affect the local school districts. These districts define the quality of education available and is why people are so selective as to which district they reside when they have children. Educational standards, grading and standardized testing is defined and administered by the local state government. The state also outlines mandatory attendance rules and defines the waivers for special education standards (home schooling as an example). Each state has a its own post-secondary system and the quality varies depending on the state. Some states (California for example) don't charge their permanent residents tuition to attend state run university. Outside of federal funding (which is 1/3 of the funding that schools receive), the feds have little say in K-12. The Department of Education's role is the accreditation of post secondary institutions, done on a regional basis. The feds have little say in education, which is a weakness of the American system IMO. They require better national standards, not weaker ones.