Why does the Department of Education in most states become more than just a liscencing agency?

murry0117 beat me to the punch in this case. She’s right though: they are more than just a liscencing agency. Easily the most important job of our Department of Education is determining the curricula standards by grade level for each content area taught in public schools. To help them determine these standards, they receive input from professional teaching organizations–not unions–the National Council of Teachers of English (http://www.ncte.org/), for example, contributes to standards for reading and writing.

Given the aspects of running public schools like special education programs, Title I programs, No Child Left Behind, testing criteria, criteria for highly qualified teachers, and so many things already mentioned by others above–it is absolutely essential for the state DoE to handle these things.

Though you don’t mention it (you aren’t very specific), I suspect you would rather see local control over things like curricula. Let communities inject their own values into curricula–that sort of thing. Local school boards do control local curricula, but these curricula must be aligned to state standards so that states can make sure their schools can meet the criteria listed under No Child Left Behind. Given the mobility of today’s society it is absolutely essential to have state (if not national) standards so that a parent of a 5th grader can expect roughly the same standards and expectations regardless of where the family moves. This is especially critical for military families, who move every 3-4 years.

You may also be worried about politics swaying a state Department of Education rather than having people working in the best interests of our students. As a Kansan, I have seen the damages created when people put their political agendas ahead of our students. However, it’s a trade-off. Being public schools, we are required to have taxpayer oversight of how tax dollars are used (basic principle of taxation with representation) so we elect officials to oversee our school expenditures. If we don’t like these officials, it is our democratic duty to get involved in the political process and change the people working in the Department of Education. I didn’t like what I saw and I got involved. If you do not like what is happening at your Department of Education, I suggest you do the same.

Because it is more than just a liscencing agency. The State Department of Education is often responsible for setting up learning objectives, testing criteria, continuing education/professional development for teachers, providing grants to schools, and oversees many programs for family literacy, charter schools, minorities, GED programs, gifted and talented students, community service, and many other thnigs.

It ends up making policy decisions and interpreting federal requirements for education.