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.
Excellent point, during the brief cycles when Republicans are in control of government, they never fail to avoid remediating the damage done by Democrats, much less proactively accomplish anything.
Yep and Begich is nowhere to be seen on the sponsor list…. ‘https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/899/cosponsors
Why don’t you send an email and ask to be a sponsor?
Thankyou for posting on the proposed bill.
Not surprising that our Representative Begich’s name is not on there.
It’s really important to hold these Alaska Republicans accountable, they have an uninterrupted track record of being corrupt, big government backers, who double speak to the public.
The maneuvering in committees explains more than the final votes.
Maybe Begich will surprise, but most likely he is just another liberal who talks a good substance less line.
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!!
Ok Alaska the whole education ball is in your hands. Do you fix the disaster with the students failing or do you demand more money and keep going down the drain.
The leftists in charge will demand more money, capitulating to the teachers union, and throw it away on garbage that does not educate the students.
What exactly did the Dept. of Education do anyway?
Seriously, what functions did they do that were not duplicated at the State and Local level?
What they do, is skim from the money sent to DC, with the added”benefit” of imposing ever mOre requirements for counterproductive programs in order to get back the pittance they don’t confiscate
3 trillion dollars stolen by those mutts over 46 years. Thats 65 billion per year. 268 billion in 2024 alone. 70% illiteracy nation wide. Bush Alaska, 92%. And Lisa Murkowski wants to keep right on with it.