Hosting todays program she researches and writes on federal and state education issues as the fellow in our education policy here at the heritage foundation. She focuses on reducing federal intervention education and income earning families with School Choice. With that, i will hand it over to lindsay. Thank you, andrew and everyone for being here today and watching online as well. We are excited to welcome vicki. She writes the federal miseducation of americas children and she argues that it is time to end, not mend, federal intervention in education. As she explains in her book the federal government left education alone for about a hundred years, recognizing that it was the purview of state and localities. But gradually, federal free strained gave away and by 1979, weasel the first cabinet level agency for education established with the verse of the u. S. Department of education and today, that agency holds 5,000 employees, manages over 150 federal Education Programs and has a discretionary budget of about 70 billion. And i might add it is the tip of the iceberg, because we see this relationship with state education agencies as well who have to be responsible to the federal mandates and as a result have also increased staffing over the decades as well. What have we gotten from this federal largess . Its not improved educational outcomes, its red tape, bureaucracy and wasteful spending. The u. S. Has increasingly centralized policy to increase spending and program and through efforts such as common core. Its interesting to note other highperforming countries have gone in the opposite direction decentralizing education Decisionmaking Authority and empowering families in fostering competition. Can we embrace the decentralization and competition in education . Those questions are more in her discussion that we do have a major opportunity to advance Education Choice through innovative options like savings accounts to restore private lending in the Higher Education market as a major step to also reducing federal intervention and in general just lamenting the federal meddling in what is a quintessential state and local issue. Doctor alger is at the independent institute and senior fellow and director of the women for School Choice project of the independent womens forum. Prior to that, associate director of education studies at the Pacific Research institute and a policy initiative. She received her phd in political philosophy from the institute for philosophical studies at the university of dallas. Please join me in welcoming doctor vicki alger. [applause] good afternoon. I would like to thank lindsey and andrew for putting this wonderful event together. Its a thrill to be here at the foundation. Thank you all for coming to talk about this important topic that actually touches every one of our lives. And thank you for opening the discussion on my new book about the federal department of education, failure. As i was traveling, i recalled the words of a member of congress from illinois who was a former teacher and lawyer about his vision for the department of education. It would be a pure fountain from which the stream can be poured upon all the state. We need a controlling hand by which the systems in a different state can be harmonized and which there can be unanimity. I take the high ground it that every child is entitled to an education at the hands of somebody and that this ought not be to the individuals are the states so far as we have any authority to regulate. Its probably not who you think. The argument was made by representative samuel of illinois 150 years ago. One year before the u. S. Department of education was originally created back in apr april 67. As the title of my book suggests, i have a different view of the dc stream pouring on states like my home state of arizona which was hailed as one of the National Leaders in School Choice. I see that we have some in the audience. Go arizona. I was inspired to write the book as were approaching the history of the u. S. Department of education, and i wondered are we better off because of the . Frankly i dont think we are. Based on the increasing calls for the departments president ial election cycle, i think its fair to say a lot of us think it is time to pull the plug on the department of education. But what does that mean if the departments history teaches us anything if the government bureaucracies are not like fine wine, they dont get better with age. History also teaches us that bureaucracies are resilient. The department of education was downgraded and reshuffled from one federal agency for another throughout much of the 19th and 20th century. Rather than abolishing it, we decided to keep it around and try to use it for an excellence agenda. The result today, common core. This is and what we were promised in 1979. The department of education was supposed to be essentially three things. One, improve student achievement. Two, supplement, not supplant state and local government and improve the management and efficiency of the federal Education Programs. So how do those promises turn out lets turn to number one. One. Achievement acrosthe achievemens and grade level on the report card as well as the various International Tests have been essentially flat during the period preceding the department of education and up till today. As far as i can tell from the track record, we are spending above average amounts for the average student achievement and up to one third more than Top Performing countries in the world. The u. S. Department of education was also supposed to supplement not supplant state and local government. Our Founding Fathers never intended for the federal government to be a quote on quote partner with the state of education. In this partnership its been a bad deal for students, schools and taxpayers. During the no child left behind either of he from the 2002 to 2, the department of education increased by an estimated 65 and was larger than the burden imposed by the department of defense, energy and justice to name a few. The burden is so great most employees state Education Departments are hired to deal with Education Programs. Today in the common core, spending is estimated to be 80 billion according to the former u. S. Department of education official. That is nearly 20 times the entire year 4. 4 billion race to the top program that was supposed to incentivize state reforms. And what about number three. After a full 30 years of operation, the gao found that the Education Department is one of the dozen or so agencies are pervading nearly 300 federal, social, education and training programs. The uniform definition of Education Program even exists at the federal level. The gao also found in the department of education alone, eight different offices administer over 60 federal teacher quality programs. How are the programs like these performing according to the omb 6 of the u. S. Department of Education Programs are deemed to be effective. But how can that be . From 1980 through 2010, the department of Education Program spending increased by more than 57 billion. 57 million. Outpacing the student enrollment by more than 51. After more than three decades in the department of education, the educational performance of American Students has not improved in spite of massive spending increases funneled through the department. The department hasnt achieved the department of administrative efficiencies reduced paperwork or programs, so it is unlikely that more time, more fiddling or funneling more money through the department is really going to improve education in the United States. We have a historical education. Even if the department of education were getting Great Results its time that we reject half measures such as incentivizing the states to improve from the flexibility. There is no evidence of officials in the federal government including those in the u. S. Department of education know best. Neither for that matter to the state officials. The difference for those of us to believe in constitutional federalism is that the state citizens are best situated to hold a state lawmakers accountable and enact reforms that actually work. In fact, as we are seeing today, the u. S. Department of education is often a hindrance and obstacle to effective programs that parents want and are succeeding. They are opting out of testing and roads. Does this look familiar to anyone. Its from the u. S. Department of education to all the state chiefs of education. I call it a happy new year nasty gram. They are accessing their godgiven unalienable rights to detect the burning and education of their children they decided to opt their children out of the common core tasks. The u. S. Department of education is sending text for the state chiefs on how you can threaten schools and present students. From our students and our schools unless we told the lin lines. It was again in 1979. Beginning in 1868 but was downgraded and changed. It requires a genuine abolition plan history has shown that in the half measures will not prevent the u. S. Department of education. It was a passthrough for the political agenda of washington, d. C. And special Interest Groups all of these are schoolchildren and taxpayers. Im not going to tell you that we need to get rid of all programs all out of dc. The first one would be the Dc Opportunity Scholarship Program as the name suggests the dc program has a constitutional basis. It was involved in the Dc Opportunity Scholarship Program. Theyve tried to kill it by attrition. The Dc Opportunity Scholarship Program stays and is privately managed. Number two, postsecondary scholarships for the veterans dependence now of course these are a benefit, not an entitlement that should be administered by the veterans affairs. Finally, the office for civil rights could be moved to the department of justice since it does perform the constitutionally sanctioned work. However as we are going to discuss in a moment since there wont be any department of education plans any funding it would see to oversee the department of education progra programs. More than 100 programs administered and 4600 employees but here is an overview of how to eliminate the u. S. Department of education through what i call strategic dismantling. Strictly speaking strategic dismantling does not eliminate a Single Department of Education Program and simply it transfers programs, management and associated funding back to the state. So, number one, right off the bat by getting rid of simply the Physical Plant and the Program Administrative overhead and associated personnel, that would be 14. 1 billion that would be returned to the taxpayers in the form of a tax rebate. Number two, the remaining 216 billion in the associated Program Funding was along with another estimated 275 Million Associated employee salaries would be restored to the states to be administered to the state education agencies. Taxpayers in the state would no longer fund these programs through the federal government but instead pay for them until the programs preexisting expiration date. Continuation of the programs previously administered by the department of education would depend on taxpayers giving them necessary and effective enough funding throughout the state. But what happens to schools during this transition . This is one that i get most often. Its worth considering under the prevailing relationship between the state and federal government the federal funding lasts roughly one to five years depending on the program. And federal funding is by no means guaranteed to cover 100 of the actual cost much less all of the paperwork and overhead burden. So theyve already experienced uncertainty by relying on federal funding. Whats more, roughly every decade or so the administration assumed office in washington, d. C. Students, schools, teachers and taxpayers are subjected to the nationwide education agendas and mandates that require expensive replacement of the previous administrations programs in the current administration. What makes it different is that ones control over Education Programs and funding is returned to the states. The parents and educators can work more closely together at local levels to better ensure clear education priorities, customized to meeting the specific needs of students and communities across the state without the chaos, cost and a people of the previous several decades of the federal leadership in education. Now is the time to end the department of education once and for all. Unlike 36 years ago, today we have thriving examples on Education Programs and services working for students, their families and taxpayers. There are 61 School Choice programs in 30 states and the district of columbia. There are 36 voucher programs, 21 tax credit scholarship programs, nine individual tax credit deduction programs, and five educational saving account programs and together, these programs are helping more than a Million School children and families. Not to mention the millions more are attending publiattending pu, charter, home and online schools all of their parents choice. Dc didnt build any of those programs. Citizens in th the states did. States data. And these programs are improving student achievement and introducing competition for students all at a fraction of what we are told we should be spending. They are not better off but we can be. After decades of waving the constitutional barrier to the federal role in education under the guide of partnering with state governments it is time to dissolve the partnership and it follows the u. S. Department of education once and for all. Thank you all very much. [applause] thank you. If you want to hang out here we will take questions from the audience if there are some i would like to kick it off and let you take over. What do you say to someone who says the states were not doing a great job before there was significant federal intervention how can we be certain. How do you respond to that . Thats the number one critique. We have been hearing that since the progressive era. What runs through the core of our thinking is that somehow dc does best is that we rarely cant trust the state and heaven forbid trusting parents who knows what those parents might do. That is what i would call constitutional circumspection. There was such respect for the constitution. President washington, jefferson, james madison. He wanted a federal role in education so badly but he said in so many other sacks until we demand. We will not only looking at the enumerated spending powers but the clause. Taking the view of education that is how they were able to do the end run around the constitution but this lack of respect for the constitution really coincides with the disdain and disrespect and disregard for parents. But to answer your question in a nutshell if you look at the performance of the department of education, we gave them a fighting chance more than 30 years. What we have is no better we are just spending a lot more and that is the best case scenario. I will say we certainly couldnt do any worse. We certainly wouldnt spend any more. And if you look at the scientific findings on the more than 60 Parental Choice programs in the state, we are doing a lot better. That is what we should be expanding. If you have questions raise your hand and we will have a microphone come around if you wait on the microphone. I think we have a microphone. If you will just wait one second for that. Let me pose one other question to you. Often if we look at where for the first time we saw significant federal intervention was the defense education act and there was a sort of idea that theres at least a National Defense component i think for a while there was a little sort of constitutionaconstitutional wine feds were trying to get. Do you think that we have just left that to the National Defense argument and after that i think there was and when i think of the defense education act in 1958, the defense is in the national interest. There is a role. Im reminded of the words of a senator from my home state who objected. He objected first and foremost because there was no constitutional role. Number two, there were 12 federal mandates. By todays standard, 12 federal mandates is a rounding error. But this argument made really designates the fee. It is the good people in the state of arizona have any funding gaps, we are more than capable of making up for it. And thats why i ask people are you willing to make up any funding gaps lets be real. Theres no such thing as a federal tax dollar. There are tax dollars we send to washington and they come back to us. So, i think that if rather than funneling it through the washington brokerage fee we would be doing much better. Raise your hand if you have a question and wait for the microphone. Yes in the back. I know youve done the research to look at how many extra employees at universities, how many extra employees and School Districts have the state department of education maybe even in the local school district. Can you give us some idea to also compare the 50,000 at the federal level with whatever savings we might get by giving an idea of the quantity of those people at other levels . That is a terrific question. Hard and fast numbers do not exist. There are estimate estimates but argue what we are seeing from the historical record, lets just take School Districts for exam