A landmark review reveals that decades of massive federal investment—totaling trillions in taxpayer funds—have failed to deliver meaningful gains in core academic performance, with national reading and math scores stagnating or declining despite the Department of Education’s founding mission to drive improvement. Critics question whether the system’s structure has hindered progress, while supporters argue external factors like funding disparities and pandemic disruptions play a larger role. The analysis examines whether the current approach to education policy remains effective or if a fundamental shift is needed to address persistent achievement gaps.
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, ...
