President Donald Trump is moving to follow through on a campaign promise to eliminate the federal Department of Education.
It may be about time.
It's hard to find one thing the federal department has done to improve outcomes for children since the late 1970s when it was created under the Carter Administration based on his promise to the National Education Association union.
A January 30 White House Fact Sheet noted:
"According to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 70% of 8th graders were below proficient in reading and 72% were below proficient in math. 40% of 4th graders did not even meet the basic reading levels. Standardized test scores have essentially been flat for over 30 years, despite hundreds of billions of dollars spent on government-run education."
The federal Education Department employs 4,400 people and costs taxpayers about $70 billion every year - quite a large chunk of change considering the constitution says nothing about the federal government's involvement in education.
More than 1,000 Department of Education employees are paid more than $160,000 annually, with nearly 90 making upwards of $200,000—more than four times the average starting teacher salary. Could these funds be better spent on improving educational outcomes for kids, or raising teacher pay?
Even if the department was discontinued, that doesn't mean all federal policy would cease. As long as Congress continues appropriating funds, federal dollars for K-12 schools would likely still continue to flow, as would the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which ensures students with disabilities are offered free education.
How would it all work instead? The federal government could simply block grant the funds to the states, allowing state education officials the responsibility, in concert with their legislatures and local school boards, to ensure the money is being spent appropriately.
Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield recently told Idaho Reports:
" . . . we’ll see what President Trump does with the U.S. Department of Education. I mean, we hope that money comes in block grants and that the restrictions of how those dollars can be used are lessened if not taken away. Idaho’s in a great position to educate our own kids. That’s not the job of the federal government. In fact, I don’t know that it’s the job of the state at that point. It’s the local district that that sets those priorities and aligns the budget.
. . . I am not concerned if the Department of Education goes away or has an adaptation because we are taking care of kids now, and I think that we can handle that at the state level. Now, with that said, the worst thing in my mind is for the federal government to take the money away. Which, I understand, the federal government doesn’t have money, it’s our money. To say we’re not going to send your money back to you, but we’re going to keep all of the rules in place, that would be a worse place than we are now."
Idaho receives about $1,900 per student in federal funds. Montana brings in $3,270.
In a perfect world, the money would be allocated directly to parents to decide the best educational path for their child.
No more failed federal requirements such as No Child Left Behind, or Race to the Top, or Common Core. The education policy discussions would happen at the state level.
It can be done.