"Both Mike DeWine and Ted Celeste believe that a stronger department will help American students," McAlister said. "Given its 20-year record, that's clearly wishful thinking. If the department had improved American education, shouldn't there be some measurable indication of that improvement?"

Citing a Cato Institute report McAlister said there is no measurable indication of improvement as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests administered over the past two decades. High schoolers' reading scores have climbed only one point, from 286 to 287 out of 500; writing scores fell from 290 to 283; and mathematics scores rose slightly from 299 to 307. All told, American taxpayers have pumped $550 billion through the department for no tangible benefit.

McAlister advocates that the Federal government get completely out of the education business and stop wasting $100 billion per year. He said, "There is no Constitutional authority for the federal government to be taxing Americans for education."