As to the education and politics linkage, that is a strange one to say the least. You tell a Black Mother in Baltimore that voting D will get her child a better education or even finish high school, more likely to get a GED in prison. The worse schools usually are in urban areas with large minority populations pretty much done in by drugs and crime, not even going to go to the gang thing.

As any areas urban population grows so will the trash that comes with the growth. If the lower income minority populations get grouped into areas ( by choice or economic circumstance ) the crime and drugs will follow as will the decline in education. As the Southern and heartland populations increase so will all the problems because it is a people thing.

It is a social / economic problem that just throwing money at ( D's ) has failed miserably. Ignoring it like it did not exist ( R's ) has not been a roaring success either. To link education to a particular party is way past stupid! It is about MONEY but not taxes! Better schools but more importantly parents that are better educated, communities more affluent, a kids entire life from birth to 18 is completely different in suburb, up scale city, or rural for that matter than inner city.

Political parties my ass it is about personal wealth.