He has thrown a spotlight on the importance of early literacy and reading. He has brought needed attention to the gap in standardized test scores between black and Latino versus white students. Critics say his plan is based on politics not pedagogy, and is guaranteed to drive a wedge even further between the education of white students and their black and Latino counterparts. In terms of the percentage of federal government funds that go to education, the United States actually spends less than it did 20 years ago, thanks to inflation and steady annual reductions during the '80s. Under the Bush plan, the United States would spend a little more than two cents of every federal taxpayer dollar on education.
Defense gets a quarter.
Democrats in Congress have called Bush's bluff when it comes to funding, and education bills in both the House and Senate call for greater spending than Bush has proposed. Democrats also have fought vehemently to keep private school vouchers out of any education bill. And whatever the final education bill looks like, it's worth remembering what's on Bush's wish list. These proposals probably will appear again, likely under a softer spotlight than the one shone on a first-term president in his first 100 days. With the Democrats negotiating some compromises, the stage is set for a Rose Garden signing of what will surely be hailed as a bipartisan education bill.