Beaurocrats love money. Why do we need a federal department of education, at least one as huge as it is today?

Feds to not run schools. States run schools and collect taxes locally to do so. Feds divert tax money to re-distribute to pet educational projects for congress. The distribution of this wealth does not necessarily mean that those who pay the taxes get better schools. Like all money leaving Washington, it tends to be parceled out based on political clout not on actual need.

Where should a Federal Department of Education fit in the picture? Here are some things I think it should do:

• Establish minimimum acceptable educational standards for all public schools and colleges and help develop standardized tests and curriculums so students who move are assured a contiguous education.
• Assure that the above are applied regardless of racial balances.
• Set what constitutes educational qualification to be a teacher at each level including on-going education.
• Mass buying power. Ability to negotiate purchases to conglomerate the needs of individual school districts to assure lowest cost on educational supplies, computers etc.
• Establish an "Educational Social Security" that holds a certain level of funds to be used only on the basis of actual need where a district does not have adequate funding available to meet a specific need. This cannot be used by any politician for a "personal" project but is to be available on application made directly by a distressed school district.

No pork-barrel projects or direct funding of any "projects" based on political influence. Minimum staff needed to administer the above. Requirement that said staff must hire consultants to assist in development of programs and not hire permanent staff for this purpose.

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