“Why Trump’s Proposal to Abolish the Education Department Would Spell Disaster for School Kids” – Maryland Matters

Is the U.S. Department of Education important? This is a hot topic after Donald Trump’s election. Some want to get rid of it entirely. But doing so would be a huge mistake for our schoolchildren’s future.

The U.S. needs a strong Department of Education to guide our schools, especially for the most vulnerable students, like those who are Black and brown. For decades, we’ve seen a drop in educational quality. A major study from 1983, A Nation at Risk, highlighted these issues and called for action. This message resonated with both liberals and conservatives, including President Reagan.

The study revealed that public education was faltering across the country. A well-educated population is essential for the economy and society as a whole. Despite this, many have opposed a significant federal role in education. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2016 weakened existing national standards, allowing states to lower academic benchmarks to make themselves look better.

Most states have made education seem more successful than it is, leading to a “race to the bottom.” For example, national test scores, like those from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often show lower proficiency than state tests. In Maryland, there’s a difference of around 15-20 percentage points.

While some states, like Maryland, are trying to make improvements with initiatives like the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, it’s clear we’re not where we need to be. The U.S. Department of Education should play a vital role in creating a solid national education policy.

What stands in the way? Republicans are generally against the Department and want to cut it entirely. Surprisingly, many Democrats are not very passionate about reforming it either. They have also supported the weakening of initiatives like ESSA and tend to follow the wishes of powerful state and local officials and teacher unions.

A strong national education policy could work without overstepping local control. The focus should be on fair funding and accountability tied to national standards. This doesn’t mean the feds handle everything—state and local districts would still determine how to spend funds and manage schools.

This approach is possible. There’s been bipartisan support in the past for raising education standards and improving accountability. Programs initiated by former presidents Clinton and Bush, as well as Obama’s “Race to the Top,” showed how federal funds can encourage needed reforms.

Creating a national education policy is not only feasible but necessary. Many other fields, like health care and job safety, already have similar structures in place. Unfortunately, the U.S. education system struggles to guarantee basic rights that many other countries take for granted.

As we consider the future of the Department of Education, now is the perfect time to reimagine its role. There’s potential for long-term changes, like legally ensuring every child has the right to read and meet state standards.

We can’t wait much longer. The stakes have never been higher, and strong national leadership from the Department of Education is urgently needed.