That's correct. Now you're getting it. And if there is no Federal standards necessary it follows that there is no need for 5,000 federal employees overseeing unnecessary "standards".

It's called logic and reason. Try it sometimes....

the point is that you have no point, and you keep changing your point everytime you're proven wrong. I'm not so concerned with what 5000 people do all year round, I'm more interested in why out of all the US cabinet departments, the one that deals with education is the smallest - is it really the least important one? especialy since the state and local government is obviously doing a lousy job.

Nathan, you are another one who is caught by media campain against the Unions. Again, union does nor decide whom to hire and what to teach and how to teach. The problem for USA education is in broad,disperse systems of the boards that have absolutely now clue what is need to be done in order to secceed. Those local boards are so politicaly incline.. this situation is a dead end. Do not expect any improvements. USSR build very strong educational system by having all school to subordinate to one Department.

yes, local boards are a waste of our money and are full of clueless people....And they don't know anything about education....
Curricula should be set by scientists and educators without any political agendas whatsoever.

aren't local boards under the umbrella of the state dept. of education?? and who would be in-charge of schools/teacher/student specific issues if there is a vacuum bet. the state and fed. level??
Galina, the board hires the teachers, but who prevents them from being fired in case of problems??

Julia, you are 100% right about it. Unfortunately, in local boards are local politicians set up the agendas, and in urban schools' systems, where the majority of the student population is from economicaly disadvantaged families, local politicians can do as they pleased. One of the examples can be Bloomberg-Klein duet, that ruined 8 generations of city students. And 4 more are comming! I have to deal with the 8th grade students that functionaly illiterate!

Sveta, no, the Boards are independently elected every 3-4 years, I guess. And the State has nothing to do with it. School system is hiring a teacher, and the school administration is the one who OKs a teacher to "stay" or to leave. In suburban areas teachers are rotating on caledoscopic speed. When my son got to the end of the high school there was not a single teacher left who taught him in the 9th grade. Why? Because all of them where "let go" for one reason: keep the labor cost low!! No one cared about quality.

On elementary level the situation is a little better. But still, to far from perfect. To reform educational system, all its components have to change: from a budget to curriculum...

When my son got to the end of the high school there was not a singleteacher left who taught him in the 9th grade. Why? Because all of themwhere "let go" for one reason: keep the labor cost low!! No one caredabout quality.
yes, and it's exactly because the teachers are not hired/promoted based on merits, but on tenure/seniority, etc..and who is responsible for that??? the unions??

btw, a great overview of the whole US public education structure..
***********.answers.com/topic/school-boards-duties-responsibilities-decision-making-and-legal-basis-for-local-school-board-powers