The Biden Administration has proposed $82.4 billion for the next year’s Department of Education budget, marking a $3.1 billion increase from the previous fiscal year. It’s a nearly 4% increase in the budget for a Department that many Americans think should be dismantled.
The surge in funding is meant to address challenges students have faced due to learning disruptions caused by the governments’ own closures of schools during the Covid pandemic and to give more power to the agency’s enforcement arm in the Office of Civil Rights.
But it also sets a new baseline of funding for future years’ budgets, much in the way that the Alaska Base Student Allocation resets a baseline of funding going forward.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona presented the department’s budget last week to a House Appropriations Committee.
He said $22 million increase for the Office of Civil Rights has tripled its workload over the past 15 years, saying that a rise in antisemitism and anti-Arab discrimination is to blame and that his agency needs more money.
In other settings, he has admitted that the complaints are usually about antisemitism, and rarely are anti-Arab.
The last budget for the Office of Civil Rights was $161.3 million. Biden is proposing it be raised by 7.4% to $173.3 million.
The Office of Civil Rights investigates discrimination in educational institutions and has become more recently known for defending pornography, literature that pushes LGBTQ ideology, and how-to sex manuals in school libraries.
Cardona highlighted during the hearing what he said is a disproportionate targeting of “LGBTQI and BIPOC” (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) literature. Cardona emphasized the Department of Education will use the extra money to target Title 1 schools (students in poverty) staff, student support initiatives, English learner programs, and higher education-related endeavors.
The budget reduces support for charter schools, cutting the grants for them by $40 million, and reallocating it to other areas. Cardona told the committee that he does not support public funding for charter schools. When asked by House Rep. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina about the cuts, Edwards reminded Cardona that his staff had previously said the “cut was due to a lack of interest. Can you help me better understand the basis in that statement?” Edwards asked for surveys and data that would support the statement that there is a lack of interest in charter schools.
Cardona said the demand for the competitive grant to support charter schools has been decreasing.
“In some pockets of our country there’s not a greater demand for charter schools,” Cardona explained. He said the department would be able to make the same number of awards as previous years. In followup questions from Edwards, Cardona said he would have his staff send answers later.
Rep. Edwards also gave Cardona an earful about the Biden plan to have taxpayers pay for the student loans of college students.
“I’m gonna give you a chance right now, in the time that I have left, to explain to that working class why this proposed program this debt relief program is fair and not turning its back, our back, on those folks that have calluses on their hands and really have built this country.”
“I’m talking about the folks that are plunging toilets every day and cutting pipes and laying bricks, that didn’t have an opportunity to go to college and now we’re asking them to pay for the education of the folks that you’re trying to describe there. Those are different classes.
“Mr. Secretary, one of the things that I continually hear from folks in my district and from all around America is that Washington seems to have forgotten so much of the working class, and I see no better example of that than the student debt relief program that’s being suggested right now – where folks with dirt and grease under their fingernails are being asked to pay for folks’ college education that wear a crest on their sport coat,” Edwards said.
“So, tell the bricklayers and pipe fitters out there right now — you have the floor for a minute and three seconds — why they should feel good about paying for these student debt relief programs,” he continued.
Cardona said that the student loan debt relief was a big help to the working class, but Edwards disputed that remark.
“The parents of those children that are laying bricks and fitting pipes have already made their decision, they’re into their career and they’re being asked to pay for a different class of folks’ education. I find that just tremendously unfair and I’ll be anxious to go back and play your comments over to the folks back at home and see if you’ve convinced them.”
Read Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona’s opening remarks to the committee at this link.
Whoever is running Grandpa Bloodstains in smart. In a very Machiavellian way.
The key to the “progressive” future are poorly educated, highly indoctrinated drones. By cutting the ability to compete against the failed education cartel, they help ensure a new crop of idiots.
Masked
I think you are correct
Public education is child abuse.
Masked
You are mostly correct regarding public school.
Child abuse through incompetence.
Waste of children Time
Waste of Taxpayers money.
The “school” that public schoolers accomplish in 9 months can easily be done in less than 2 months through homeschooling at a much cheaper rate without having to worry if a child is being abused while under sub par supervision.
Shut down public school and privatization of all education services for a better quality result.
Indoctrination and Conformity > Education
“The American high school began to change from ‘an institution that prepared young people academically and vocationally for the adult world’ to a ‘custodial’ institution, more devoted to social management and conformity.”
‘https://www.city-journal.org/article/when-high-schools-shaped-americas-destiny
Hmmm … Interesting perspective from Secretary Cardona and this current administration!?!? Seems very similar to the Bolsheviks and the Social Democratic Labor Party.
Truly. One would think the DOJ would be the place to pursue lawsuits against ones countrymen, not the DoEducation. However, we must avoid allowing our children to question authority and have them strive for mediocrity rather than achieve greatness.
So as a blue collar worker the message I’m getting is “shut up and eat the bugs.”
Is that about right?
President Trump should start to put his new Administration and Cabinet together now.
.
Secretary of Education: Mike Dunleavy.
👏👏👏👏
One of those items is an investment. One is solely and bureaucracy.
You decide which is which.
Wow, what a coincidence. Biden cuts charter schools budget at the same time AK State judge rules no funds to charter, homeschool, correspondence schools, etc. Large increases to woke, Dei, ESG public schools who don’t prioritze reading, writing, math, necessary subjects and funds are meant for expanding bureaucracy, ideology, social justice type programs. Is this to cut down on schools that actually teach skills so they can fill up half empty failing public schools to show a need and keep DOE employed?
Since Biden is increasing the budget and funds for public schools, the increase by the AK State legislature isn’t needed and should be cancelled. The People of Alaska should receive a full PFD.
Soc Sec is only getting 2.6% despite the inflation costs being way up over that. Why, when DOE is getting a larger increase?
Student loan forgiveness is important to those who choose college over manual blue collar labor careers.
Why should students have to bear the cost of those expensive drug and alcohol fueled spring break vacations with overpaid summer intern jobs to cover their extracurricular play activities.
Someone needs to foot the bill…it may as well be the working class.
Joe Biden couldn’t have said this better, Andy.
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
I want me some of that “general welfare”.
Eliminate the Department of Education or should I say Indoctrination. That will go a long way in balancing the Federal budget.
Wow, what a coincidence. Biden cuts charter schools budget at the same time AK State judge rules no funds to charter, homeschool, correspondence schools, etc. Large increases to woke, Dei, ESG public schools who don’t prioritze reading, writing, math, necessary subjects and funds are meant for expanding bureaucracy, ideology, social justice type programs. Is this to cut down on schools that actually teach skills so they can fill up half empty failing public schools to show a need and keep DOE employed?
Since Biden is increasing the budget and funds for public schools, the increase by the AK State legislature isn’t needed and should be cancelled. The People of Alaska should receive a full PFD.
Soc Sec is only getting 2.6% despite the inflation costs being way up over that. Why, when DOE is getting a larger increase?
So we all can see what the real Biden priorities are. Dumb down the population – easier to indoctrinate them to accept bugs and poverty. As for the students in debt, most of them are from the working class and had to take out loans just to get a college education. The real problem is the price of college that has skyrocketed far beyond what a working class student can afford. By design, only those with wealthy parents need apply. it has been that way for decades. Now as soon as public opinion can be swayed away from even loaning money to students, the elites will have accomplished their true purpose and we will have a true class system in this country. Congratulations!