"about poor education and the Constitution"

Low graduation standards are one reason for failing schools in America and for-profit colleges pretty much guarantee a degree to anyone who pays. I worked once in a Beef packing plant with a few people who were smarter than several teachers I taught beside. Every "for credit" class I took through my school district after earning my bachelor's degree at ASU West was a University of Phoenix guaranteed-to-pass class. I heard a woman who just earned a phd. from a for-profit school say, "I never can keep it straight - which one is true, fiction or non-fiction?" This woman graduated from the classroom to the counsellors office with a big raise because of her phd. BUT ... I had a principal who graduated from a HARVARD special class for minorities (summer school, something not a 4-year plan) who was dumb as a post. Once when she was talking to me it was the security guard (same minority group) who would jump in and clarify her sentences, correct her poor word choice, etc. So, we're muddled from top to bottom, aren't we?
Where to start to fix the education mess? Let's start at the top. Education is not mentioned in the Constitution, so therefore it, not being denied to the states, is a state's right. I mean, for God's sake can we at least begin with SOMETHING both sides agree on? And that one thing is the Constitution. The federal government should butt out of education except for the right of citizens of all races to have access to an equal level of that state's educational system. If Mississippians want to run last in a race to the bottom with Texans, let 'em go! The ridiculous thing is that Texas has a major influence on textbook publishers who wish to sell nation-wide, and, with the new Texas state standards in history, America's students will know less about Thomas Jefferson than they do about Phyllis Shalafly!
Private schools? Turn 'em loose. F... 'em. NO TAX dollars for you. Teach any BS you want. Exclude who you want, you private and religious schools, but NO TAX dollars for you! Oh, you say, they may teach lies. Duh, we're already teaching lies. Put back into place the fairness doctrine that Reagan took from broadcasting and apply it to textbooks, too. Republicans are fond of saying that the average American knows how best to spend his/her money, so lower taxes. Then they turn around and only significantly lower taxes for the rich and they tax US for "private" "charter" "whatever" schools.