In a compelling turn of events, the Republican leadership is taking aim at the Department of Education, hinting that its days might be numbered. With the goal of dismantling this hefty bureaucracy, the education secretary, Linda McMahon, outlined the administration’s bold plan to close down the department and shift educational control and resources directly to the states. Sounds like a classic case of Washington knowing what’s best for everyone—by letting the states figure it out for themselves.
The move comes as the president doubles down on a campaign promise to disband what he sees as an out-of-touch bureaucracy that’s more of a hindrance than a help to the nation’s students. His administration is working to convince Congress that shuffling money and responsibilities back to the states will miraculously improve student performance. After all, what could be a better incentive than local control to stir up a little healthy competition among states? If the states can’t figure it out, well then, maybe try again next year.
Getting Congress to play ball won’t be a breeze, though. With a need for 60 votes in the Senate, McMahon is already rubbing elbows with lawmakers, trying to soothe their concerns about letting go of federal oversight. The goal is to ensure that funds rightfully intended for education don’t get tangled up in the proverbial red tape of bureaucratic overhead. Because if there’s one thing Washington understands, it’s the joy of watching money get wasted on Federal Administration while state programs languish in want.
Supporters of the plan are quick to point out the successful jumps in education seen in states like Louisiana and Mississippi, which have cleverly catapulted their scores without any need for hand-holding from the feds. These ‘miracle’ states, they argue, show just how redundant the Federal Department is. Besides, if these states can manage it, why can’t the rest? It’s like saying if one person can climb Everest, everyone should ditch their sherpas.
Critics, however, are less optimistic. They fret about what might happen to vital programs for kids with disabilities or those from less affluent families. Skeptics are clinging to the belief that an actual phone answering in Washington is vital because, presumably, nobody in the states remembers how to pick up a phone. Meanwhile, champions of this state-centric plan emphasize that funding and programs existed before the federal department, and they insist local schools and parents know best how to educate their kids—never mind that pesky $3 trillion that’s done so little for scores.
In the end, it seems this endeavor might just be a hard-to-swallow pill for many who equate Federal oversight with success. But with stagnant scores and a cash flow that seems to evaporate into thin air, the push to re-evaluate how America educates its future stares everyone straight in the eyes. Stay tuned as the saga unfolds, as the quest for the smartest students in the world might just start in the backyard, not in the shadow of the Capitol.
