Since President Trump’s inauguration, a multitude of new policies and executive orders have been implemented. His attempt to eliminate liberal values within the government has been apparent, especially regarding federal versus state-level issues. Specifically, the White House is anticipated to soon issue an executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and leave funding up to the states.
The U.S. Department of Education is an agency that establishes policy and coordinates most federal assistance to education. It is a crucial area of funding for students around the country, distributing billions of dollars to schools each year. They also provide grants, work-study assistance, and loans to millions of undergraduates per year. Since its establishment, White House staff with conservative ideology have attempted to abolish it, but the current members are posing the greatest threat.
According to PBS, the Department of Education is on the Trump chopping block. While this may be intimidating, Trump cannot do this on his own; it would take congressional approval and a supermajority in the Senate. Choosing to eliminate this department would be catastrophic for low-income families who require educational services and financial support. Kentucky representative Thomas Massie reintroduced a bill that he originally proposed in 2017 to abolish the Department by 2026.
Trump’s goal for defunding the department is to eliminate pushing “woke” ideology on children. Trump is under the impression that if he limits funding, things like African American history, critical race theory, LGBTQ+ beliefs, and more will be eliminated from curricula. He also wants to expand school choice, giving families the option to use public money to select private or religious alternatives to public schools. Republicans often argue that education funding should be left up to states.
On February 13th, the Department of Education canceled over $350 million in contract grants. These services went to various Regional Educational Laboratories and Equity Assistance Centers. These Educational Laboratories support research and development. Equity Assistance Centers support diverse DEI training, Critical Race Theory, and gender identity across education.
The Department of Education newsroom states, “ …however, review of the contracts uncovered wasteful and ideologically driven spending not in the interest of students and taxpayers. For example, the Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest has been advising schools in Ohio to undertake ‘equity audits’ and equity conversations.”
Many arguments, specifically from democrats, have been made over this ban. Many people think that this is not in the best interest of Trump’s constituents, but rather an attempt at censorship.
Johns Hopkins, a top 10 college located in Baltimore, has been open about how they have been impacted by this. They utilize over $800 million in funds from the United States Agency for International Development, covering public health and medical and international health programs. It is one of the top research universities in the country, and critical for producing groundbreaking discoveries. Not only is the university crucial for education, but it is the top employer in Baltimore. Taking away funding means cutting jobs, education, and research.
This defunding is so important because it affects almost everyone. The Department of Education has planned to lay off over half of its employees starting March 21st. These programs will negatively affect all students, but specifically low-income and disabled youths are at risk. The Department of Education also oversees discrimination in educational settings. Without this, there could be a significant increase in inequity and a decrease in resources.
Education is especially necessary in today’s world. Everybody deserves the right to learn, regardless of their backgrounds or drawbacks. Defunding the Department of Education could be a major setback for America, putting the education of current and future generations at risk.
