“Modest” Education Proposal Revealed

President Obama has been lauded by the press for almost fully funding federal education initiatives, even as he makes large spending cuts. But data show that his cuts are almost nonexistent and that federal funding of education has proven futile — again and again and again. (Photo credit: AP Images)

Item: An Education Week blog for February 14, in a piece entitled “Obama Proposes Modest Hike in Education Spending for FY 2012,” reported that “education is a bright spot in an otherwise tight budget.” The “Politics K-12” blog took note of President Obama’s visit that day to a school in Baltimore County, Maryland. The President said “that while he recognizes the need to rein in federal spending, ‘we can’t sacrifice our future in the proc­ess. That’s especially true when it comes to education.’”

Item: A USA Today article for February 15 discussed the education component of the newly proposed budget “that administration officials portrayed as austere.” Education was given a special privileged status, “though not without some potential pain for programs important to colleges and students.” Many priorities “for higher education would take a meaningful hit.”

“Higher education leaders and advocates for students,” noted Doug Lederman of USA Today, “typically howl in protest when political leaders of any party of political persuasion threaten programs dear to them, and they did not hide their disappointment with the president’s proposed cuts Monday.”

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