Over the years, the federal government has steadily increased its control over public education in the United States. The most notable developments of the last decade include the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the ED Recovery Act, part of President Obama's comprehensive recovery plan. As of September 30, 2010, $97.4 billion has been appropriated under the ED Recovery Act (Department of Education). With the significant increase in federal interference, the American public should expect positive results. Instead, schools are facing the same problems they had before the increase in federal interest and, what's more, even more of them arise. Federal involvement in education wastes billions of dollars each year by creating an education system that exists to advance politics, not education. It is time for the federal government to permanently end its involvement in education. The federal government has been pouring money into the education system for decades. With the additional support states have received, student achievement and opportunity should increase. Instead, school districts are cutting everything but core programs and outcomes remain stagnant. Federal spending per student has tripled since 1970, even when adjusted for inflation (Coulson), but test scores have not changed (McCluskey). The only change greater than 1% was in science, and these scores indicated a decline in scores, not the expected increase (Coulson). Federal money is going down the drain, and states seem content to keep it that way because it eases the burden of improving their schools. This waste of money should not continue. The fundamental premise underlying federal control of education is that every child... middle of paper... tion. He is weak now, but he can be the best in the world again. The federal government must stop engaging in education. Only then will American students begin to receive the education they deserve. Works Cited Coulson, Andrew J. “Has Federal Involvement Improved America's Schools?” Cato Institute, 2009. Web. November 30, 2010. Department of Education. “Highlights of the Recovery Act.” U.S. Department of Education, no date. Network. November 30, 2010.McCluskey, Neal. “No federal failures left behind.” Cato Institute, 2004. Web. November 30, 2010. McCluskey, Neal. “Why We Fight: How Public Schools Cause Social Conflict.” Political analysis n. 587. Cato Institute, 2007. Web. November 30, 2010. Romanowski, Michael H. “What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You: Textbook Omissions and 9/11.” The Clearing House; 82:6 (August 2009). Network. November 30 2010.