Investing in Education Powers U.S. Competitiveness: Education Funding Must Be Preserved

Education is the key to American competitiveness and a strong economy, and continued federal investment in education is needed in order to support improvements in student achievement and put American economy on the path to sustained growth. The United States must continue to invest in education in order to create a system that is more equitable and that produces American students who are more competitive in the global marketplace for talent. Investment in education makes intuitive sense to the American people, but in this tough budgetary climate, it seems that every public investment is on the table to be cut. This paper discusses six reasons why continued federal investment in education should be a no-brainer as the congressional super committee negotiates this fall: (1) Global competitiveness; (2) Ensuring all students reach high standards of achievement; (3) Economic returns; (4) Jobs; (5) Savings elsewhere; and (6) Path to the middle class. Of course, investing in education isn't going to increase student achievement by itself. It matters how that money is spent, and now more than ever it is important to ensure money is spent fairly, efficiently, and effectively. Here are a couple of key principles to follow: (1) Spend scarce federal money where it is most needed; and (2) Education funding should be efficient and effective, emphasizing returns on investment. The author concludes that investment in education is a social and economic imperative, and efficient and effective federal education spending must be protected in this fall's super committee negotiations. (Contains 35 endnotes.)