President Donald Trump today signed an executive order that begins the reduction of the Department of Education, returning the authority over education to states and local communities.
The Department of Education was created by President Jimmy Carter. Since its creation, educational outcomes have plummeted across the country.
The order argues that the federal government’s control over education through the Department of Education has failed students, teachers, and families, despite significant federal spending on schools.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy applauded the move: “While the original intent of the US Department of Education was noble, it failed in its primary mission, to ensure that every child has access to a quality education. Like all large, centralized departments and programs, it pilfered tax dollars to support a large bureaucracy, which became increasingly inefficient. As it metastasized, the Department took billions of dollars out of state and local economies to create regulations and pay employees, and the financial resources that it provided to the states, was a fraction of what was taken.”
Key points of the executive order are:
- The Department of Education has not improved educational outcomes, with reading and math scores near historical lows.
- The department manages a $1.6 trillion student loan debt portfolio with insufficient staff, a function better suited for banks.
- Making the Department of Education much smaller will allow states and local communities to take control of education and improve program implementation.
- The Secretary of Education is being directed to take all necessary steps to facilitate the shrinkage of the department while ensuring uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits.
- Federal education funds must be allocated in compliance with federal law and Administration policy. This includes terminating any programs promoting illegal discrimination under the auspices of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or gender ideology.
There is little doubt that the National Education Association will sue to stop the president from downsizing what is arguably the most failing agency in the federal government.
Opponents of the action say he cannot remove the department without the approval of Congress. The White House has already answered that by saying he is not going to make it go away entirely.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon has already taken steps to curtail the department’s authority and to reduce its workforce.
Finally.
Great news!
The Department of Indoctrination had to go. By any measurable metric it was a failed and top heavy department. Now we will see whether the States choose to take an approach based on freedom and meritocracy or whether bureaucracy/corruption will only shift from a Federal level to the State level. I hold Alaska makes wise choices.
It’s a good start. There are many more agencies and departments that have to go.
Also, squish republicans won’t be able to fundraise on ending it and doing nothing as they have for 50 years.
Yep and Begich is nowhere to be seen on the sponsor list…. ‘https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/899/cosponsors
It was created in the early 80’s where civics was ditched for social studies. The middle man for federal funding is gone. Another fantastic win!!