Secretary of Education travels the world

In less than a year and a half in office, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has gone on official trips to Afghanistan, Britain, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Japan, Jordan and Russia, at a cost to the Education Department (and taxpayers) of just under $37,000, the Associated Press reported. Aides to Spellings defended the trips, saying that they allowed her to monitor educational progress abroad at a time of increasing concerns over international competitiveness. Later this month, Spellings travels to Greece and Spain.

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