I feel for you. My last one is graduates from High School this year.

In the past 20 years I have watched the public school system deteriorate,
while the taxes to pay for it increase to disbelief (I will pay $7000+ in
school taxes alone for 2003 on my only residence ... just got the bill).

From where I sit the biggest impediment to education in this neck of the
woods, as politically incorrect as it may appear, is racial bickering.
Racial issues permeate every single decision in this school district to such
an extent that the educrats, black, brown, or white, are paralyzed into
ineffectualness making sure that someone else doesn't get something they
don't. The only aim they serve is shooting themselves in their collective
foot.

I will say this unequivocally about Bush's education appointment. Rod Paige
is an idiot and a closet bigot. He was one when he was here, and he is a
bigger one in Washington. The man speaks in pleasing platitudes and fully
expects his words alone to take the place of actions. This is not arrogance.
He is, in short, and typical of so many of our educrats, educated beyond his
intelligence. He is simply incapable of any action that is not politically
or racially motivated. Under his administration cheating on standardized
tests was rampant and fraud in almost every aspect of his administration
kept the local TV "investigative journalist" in beans and weenies during his
tenure.

With him at the Federal level, expect things to only get worse for the rest
of you.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 9/13/03

"todd" wrote in message ...

I don't have an answer where the money goes in the rat hole we call the
public education system. Seems that I just saw a report that says the
United States spends more money per child on education than any other
major
country in the world. My children aren't in school yet, so I haven't had
an
up-close look at the school system as an adult. Maybe I'd have a better
handle on the problem if I did. And the states are screaming for more
federal money because the feds are mandating testing that the states say
they don't have the money for. I guess if they were doing their job in
the
first place, all of this testing wouldn't be necessary.