I am sitting in my dorm room preparing to write a five page paper on the history and political goals of public schooling. As I am doing this, Betsy DeVos is being confirmed as Secretary of Education and Representative Thomas Massie has introduced a bill to completely eliminate the Department of Education by the end of 2018. And with that, I think to myself, "what a wonderful time to be an education major".
I have not been quiet about my dislike for Mrs. DeVos; I don't appreciate that she has no experience with public schooling and I don't agree with the programs and platforms she supports, however it is crucial to note that the DeVos position is really just a bully pulpit. She has been given this position of authority with the opportunity to speak out on issues, specifically the views of the president in regards to education. In other words, she is more of a figure head than an active politician.
As far as Massie's bill to eliminate the Department of Education, it was definitely disconcerting when first mentioned. This prompted me to look into the matter through articles that had right, left, and center biases so I could have a well rounded look at the situation. From there I went to the Department of Education's website and read more on the purposes of the department.
The Department of Education is a relatively new department, established in 1979 by the Carter Administration. This agency was originally a part of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, which is better known now as the the Department of Health and Human Services. The DOE only provides about 8% of funding to district budgets, though does have a great social impact, such as through The Office of Civil Rights, which deals with investigations relating Title IX violations. Arguably the biggest area of responsibility for the DOE is the administration of federal student aid like, Pell Grant. Though there is certainly significant responsibility put on the Secretary of Education and their department, they have very little influence on the day to day workings of the nation's education system.
So what does this mean?
Without federal funding public schools would not have federal rules to abide by which is a move in support of states' rights. This would provide a more individualized education program that would be more beneficial than the standardized plan associated with No Child Left Behind; something that seems to have been started by the Obama Administration's Every Student Succeeds Act. The $68 billion education budget would not disappear, but what is left of federal school funding would go more towards post secondary education in ways such as the Pell Grant. IF the DOE was eliminated, which is unlikely given the bill was only a sentence long, there would unquestionably be initial strife, but ultimately it has the chance to perpetuate the public school reformation that is so desperately needed.
So yes, it is a wonderful time to be an education major. There are an unsettling amount of unknowns and a lot of changes ahead for the education systems of our country but it doesn't have to be a bad thing. As a future educator I am excited for this new challenge and the potential to better students' lives even more.
