After last week's presidential election victory by Donald Trump, perennial calls to end the US Department of Education grew louder. With Republicans gaining control of the US Senate, and possibly retaining control of the US House of Representatives as well, the prospect of eliminating the department became more plausible. But don't hold your breath. When Trump won the presidency in 2016, Republicans also controlled both chambers of Congress and the Department of Education remained solidly intact, despite legislative proposals to abolish it. That is not to say that lawmakers shouldn't try. There is no constitutional role for the federal government in education, and all policies related to education should be made at the state and local levels. If voters here in Massachusetts (including me) want to eliminate high-stakes standardized testing in public schools, we should be able to do so without a peep from Washington, DC. Similarly, if the citizens of Oklahoma support Bible study in public schools, they should be able to grapple with that policy amongst themselves, without the federal government chiming in.
Authors
- Pages
- 2
- Published in
- United States of America
Table of Contents
- What Would Really Happen If the US Department of Education Went Away 1
- This article appeared in Foundation for Economic Education on November 1
- 13 2024. 1
- Regardless of your politics a weak federal role in education is a good thing. 1
- But donʼt hold your breath. 1
- When Trump won the presidency in 2016 Republicans also controlled both 1
- That is not to say that lawmakers shouldnʼt try. There is no constitutional 1
- Massachusetts including me want to eliminate high-stakes standardized 1
- Washington DC. Similarly if the citizens of Oklahoma support Bible study 1
- A decentralized education 1
- While unlikely shuttering the US 1
- Department of Education would 1
- Education is a relatively new installation created as a cabinet-level position 2
- Almost as soon as the department was created there were calls to 2
- Trump has called for wide-ranging changes in American education from 2
- Anyone worried about how the Trump administration could affect 2
- Department of Education. Similarly anyone worried about the education 2
- DEI should also support the elimination of this department. A weak federal 2
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR 2
- Adjunct Scholar 2
