A landmark federal agency created to transform education has spent decades and trillions of dollars on public schools, yet new data reveals stagnant—or even declining—reading and math proficiency among students, raising critical questions about whether its massive investments have delivered on their core mission. With national test scores showing little progress despite unprecedented funding, educators and policymakers are scrutinizing whether structural reforms, shifting priorities, or external factors may be undermining the department’s original goals. The findings come as debates intensify over how best to allocate resources and measure success in K-12 education.
The Department of Education was established in 1980 with the promise of improving education outcomes for America’s students. $3 trillion in taxpayer dollars later, national test scores in reading, ...
