There are reports suggesting that the U.S. Department of Education may soon be dismantled, according to a recent article from the Washington Post.
We can only hope.
Sources—three anonymous ones, to be exact—indicate that six offices within the Department of Education might be reassigned to other agencies. The main objective seems to be reducing the Department of Education as much as possible, though Congress ultimately holds the power to close it down entirely.
Some of what the Department of Education spends on can be seen as unnecessary:
Potentially moving offices include the Civil Rights Division, which looks into discrimination claims based on race, gender, and disability; the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, managing $15 billion in programs under the Americans with Disabilities Act; several Indian education programs; the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, overseeing the K-12 grant program; and the Office of Postsecondary Education.
A potential workaround would be to have the Department of Education legally partner with other agencies to manage these programs.
Back in March, an executive order from President Trump aimed to shut down the Department of Education and instructed Secretary Linda McMahon to collaborate with Congress on the move.
Recently, McMahon pointed out, during the lengthy government shutdown, how the Department of Education seemed unnecessary:
“Students kept going to classes. Teachers continued to get paid. There were no interruptions to sports or bus routes,” she noted. “This government shutdown reinforced what conservatives have been arguing for decades: The U.S. Department of Education largely acts as a conduit for funds that states could manage better.”
We’re directing resources toward bureaucrats rather than where they should be—toward state school administrators.
There’s a feeling that public education is failing. Allowing teachers to unionize seems to have set off a downward spiral.
Some might argue there’s no real reason for the government to be in charge of education when gaps exist in its own operations.
It’s also widely criticized that nationalizing education under the Department of Education, initiated by Jimmy Carter, is problematic. This not only serves as a fund and job avenue for federal agencies but also attempts to enforce a one-size-fits-all approach in a highly diverse population, where localities should tailor their education methods.
Some believe President Trump should act to dismantle the Department of Education. It feels like a significant waste. Why does this department have its own civil rights division? Why not let the Department of Justice handle those issues? It seems unnecessary. Managing civil rights violations shouldn’t require a team of high-salaried bureaucrats with generous benefits.
Perhaps it’s time to rethink everything—eliminate the department entirely and leave education to local entities.
