"Public education (K-12) is the backbone of our democracy."  Funny, our Founders didn't see that as they put nothing into the founding docs about a Dept. of Education!

"With quality public education, our kids learn how to think critically, how to get along, and how to deal with success and failure." Sadly, I would have to disagree considering the number of students who take on massive debt to go to college with no degree or ambition in mind except their "friends are going."  Sounds like critical thinking to me!  And, there they learn how to get along so well that even Tim Kaine's own son joins ANTIFA and dresses up like a hooded dope!  And, they are really tolerant of different points of view as well by dousing it with self - harvested urine!  I, personally, have not seen kids accept success and failure very well either.  The only thing they do is march around until someone will give them their way!

Spending less money actually had much better results!