What does the US Department of Education do, and why is it under attack by Trump and his acolytes, principally Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, formerly of WWF fame?
The Education Department was created in 1979, at the end of Jimmy Carter's presidency. Its primary role, then as now, is sending federal money to public schools, administering college financial aid, enforcing civil rights in schools and supporting programs for students with disabilities. Republicans opposed it from the start, citing their beliefs in limited government control, fiscal responsibility and local autonomy. As early as 1982, President Reagan was calling for the elimination of the Department of Education.
Here are two quotes that illustrate the gap between the Republicans' and Democrats' understanding of the Department's role:
John B. King, education secretary during the Obama administration: "The history of the Education Department is as a civil rights agency, the place that ensures that students with disabilities get the services they need, that English learners get the help they need."
Project 2025 holds that schools should be responsive to parents rather than "leftist advocates intent on indoctrination". The authors of Project 2025 see the Education Department as "inject[ing] racist, anti-American, ahistorical propaganda into America's classrooms."
Given those very divergent perspectives, it is no wonder that Republicans, buoyed by parent's frustration over school shutdowns during the Covid pandemic, want education to be delegated to state and local authorities. Democrats, remembering the long shadow of segregation and the historical neglect of children who were experiencing learning difficulties, want the US to retain its role as enforcer of civil rights. It should be stressed, at this point, that the Republican argument of "indoctrination in the classroom" does not hold water, as the US Department of Education DOES NOT CREATE A SET CURRICULUM.
What if Trump succeeds, and Texas becomes the sole arbiter of education in our State? The current Republican leadership may be on the brink of passing a school voucher bill that would be soon be signed by Governor Abbott. It would profoundly alter education in Texas, now without the moderating influence of the Department of Education. Private schools would be free to reject students, who would then be placed in underfunded public schools - since public school funding is correlated to the number of students in attendance. Public schools drained of students are also drained of funds. Forget about the "melting pot", we will instead witness yet another transfer of wealth, as most families with modest incomes will be unable to supplement the amount offered in the voucher (coyly named ESA, or Education Savings Account).
The Republican assault on education must be fought. It is exclusionary, playing to Trump's obsession with abolishing DEI initiatives and oppressing the LGBT+ community. It is part of a playbook of deregulaton and privatization based on creating profit for the few, not opportunity for the many.
Marie-Anne wrote this post. I am not an education specialist, just an interested party. Most of this post was taken from a very good article in the Texas Tribune. Any mistakes are solely my responsibility.
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