Questions for GOP Contenders Promising Dept. of Ed Will Be "Gone" :: Frederick M. Hess

Questions for GOP Contenders Promising Dept. of Ed Will Be "Gone" :: Frederick M. Hess:

Questions for GOP Contenders Promising Dept. of Ed Will Be "Gone"

by Frederick M. Hess • Nov 14, 2011 at 8:00 am
Cross-posted from Education Week

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Hidy, all. I'm back. Thanks to Melissa, Sheara, Celine, and Roxanna for three weeks of stellar guest turns. While I was out, in last week's Republican debate, Texas Governor Rick Perry promised (in the course of a major gaffe) that the Department of Education would be "gone" if he's elected President. Rep. Michele Bachmann and others have made similar pledges. While I've some sympathy for the premise, I'm not sure what it actually means to "turn out the lights" at ED. Here are six questions I hope an enterprising reporter asks Perry, Bachmann, et al. on this score:

1. It isn't clear that abolishing the Department would itself end any federal education programs (since they can migrate elsewhere). So, specifically, which programs and activities will you eliminate?
2. Do you intend to push to eliminate federal funding for special education? If not, who will be responsible