Education is top heavy beginning with the federal department of ed. (I suppose they would be considered “the top”). They have 4,500 employees. What do they do? Seemingly they come up with one size fits all programs with impossible goals such as by the year 2014 all students will meet or exceed the standard in reading. All students? And “good” teachers who meet this goal will be rewarded with extra pay? This, of course, encourages “teach to the test” at best, and outright cheating on standardized testing at worst. Since the creation of the department of ed, has our educational system improved? If not, then we are not getting good value for our tax dollars by hiring and paying the 4,500 employees. Also, since every state has its own department of ed, isn’t the federal one redundant?
Ned "The Head" Ryerson 
Education is top heavy beginning with the federal department of ed. (I suppose they would be considered “the top”). They have 4,500 employees. What do they do? Seemingly they come up with one size fits all programs with impossible goals such as by the year 2014 all students will meet or exceed the standard in reading. All students? And “good” teachers who meet this goal will be rewarded with extra pay? This, of course, encourages “teach to the test” at best, and outright cheating on standardized testing at worst. Since the creation of the department of ed, has our educational system improved? If not, then we are not getting good value for our tax dollars by hiring and paying the 4,500 employees. Also, since every state has its own department of ed, isn’t the federal one redundant?