On Thursday afternoon, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at dismantling and reorganizing the Department of Education at the federal level, shifting responsibility to the states.  This move aligns with Trump’s longstanding stance on reducing federal intervention in local governance, especially in areas such as education.  He has consistently advocated for increasing school choice and reducing federal oversight in favor of local control.

President Trump has emphasized that the one-size-fits-all approach of federal education policies often fails to address the unique needs of different states and school districts.  The executive order outlines the aspirational goal of returning authority over education to the states:

Our Nation’s bright future relies on empowered families, engaged communities, and excellent educational opportunities for every child.  Unfortunately, the experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars — and the unaccountable bureaucracy those programs and dollars support — has plainly failed our children, our teachers, and our families. ... Closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them.

According to the Trump administration, federal involvement in education has led to overregulation, inefficiency, and a lack of accountability to local communities.  Trump has repeatedly argued that local governments and state-level educational authorities are better suited to make decisions about curriculum, funding, and school standards.  Trump also advocates for the implementation of universal school choice.

A March 20 statement released by the White House highlights that “the U.S. Department of Education has spent over $3 trillion with virtually nothing to show for it.  Despite per-pupil spending having increased by more than 245%” since October 1979 when President Carter signed legislation establishing the department with operations officially beginning in May 1980.  Needless to say, the results have been underwhelming.

The White House also shared several other troubling statistics regarding the education of the nation’s children:

• Math and reading scores are at the lowest in decades.
• Six in ten fourth-graders and nearly three quarters of eighth-graders are not proficient in math.
• Seven in ten fourth- and eighth-graders are not proficient in reading, while 40% of fourth graders don’t even meet basic reading levels.
• Standardized test scores have remained flat for decades.
• U.S. students rank 28 out of 37 OECD member countries in math.

In an earlier press conference on Thursday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt assured reporters that “critical functions of the department” such as funding for special education, Pell grants, student loans, and Title I funding would remain unaffected by the order.

To be clear, it would require an act of Congress to fully shutter the department.  In the meantime, President Trump has directed Secretary Linda McMahon to take “all the necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the states,” according to Leavitt.

Image: jarmoluk via Pixabay, Pixabay License.