What’s Happening With The Department of Education?
On March 20th, Donald Trump took a big step in officially dismantling the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) by signing an Executive Order titled “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities.” Here’s the first passage:
“Our Nation’s bright future relies on empowered families, engaged communities, and excellent educational opportunities for every child. Unfortunately, the experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars — and the unaccountable bureaucracy those programs and dollars support — has plainly failed our children, our teachers, and our families.”
If you don’t know much about the DOE or what it does, it essentially administers and distributes federal funding for education-related programs and enforces civil rights laws in school. If you’ve had to apply for federal financial aid (filling out the FAFSA, for example), the DOE is in charge of that. At first glance, the title sounds good, right? Empowering people at a local level to take charge of their education system. Allowing states to decide how to run their schools. This shouldn’t have a political or ideological slant at all, right? It’s just common sense. Except Section 2, Article b
“...The Secretary of Education shall ensure that the allocation of any Federal Department of Education funds is subject to rigorous compliance with Federal law and Administration policy, including the requirement that any program or activity receiving Federal assistance terminate illegal discrimination obscured under the label “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or similar terms and programs promoting gender ideology.”
What exactly is “gender ideology”? According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), it is “a conspiratorial phrase coined by anti-LGBTQ+ activists and extremists to characterize attempts to achieve LGBTQ+ rights or representation as an extreme ideology or even part of a nefarious left-wing plot to dominate public institutions.” Simply put, it doesn’t actually exist. It is a tactic many on the right use to scare people into believing their children are somehow being radicalized and taught to oppose traditional American values. And of course, we all know what DEI stands for––diversity, equity, and inclusion, which, in a previous Executive Order, the Trump administration referred to as “illegal and immoral discrimination programs.” Unsurprisingly, this Executive Order regarding the DOE is only one of many efforts to eliminate DEI as a systemic practice in schools, workplaces, and far beyond.
In addition to its many responsibilities, the DOE also encompasses the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), which, according to its website (which has not yet been taken down), “is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts.” Essentially, it’s in charge of ensuring people with disabilities are also given the education and opportunities they deserve without discrimination from educators and/or schools at large. In this Executive Order, Trump reassures us that these anti-discriminatory programs will not be completely eliminated, but rather redistributed among other governmental departments––yet the specifics of how certain rights will be protected, and who will be taking charge of ensuring so, is never mentioned.
In February, National Education Association President Becky Pringle suggested that dismantling the DOE, and in turn the OSEP, would mean “less resources for our most vulnerable students, larger class sizes, fewer special education services for students with disabilities, and less civil rights protections.” Now that this is no longer necessarily a pipe dream, and without a known plan in place, the gutting of the department has undoubtedly become a source of stress for many this would affect, including parents and caregivers to these students, along with those working in special education. On a personal note, my uncle was a special ed teacher for many years, and I understand the importance of facilitating spaces meant for young people with disabilities, as well as making space for these people in “regular”, general education classrooms.
As mentioned above, what is to come of programs such as FAFSA, to help people pay for their education after K-12? What will happen to those who rely on federal aid not just to pay for tuition, but also for reliable housing and food?
Short answer: We don’t know. The administration has not put any plans in place, at least publicly, to reassure people who depend on the DOE that they will continue to be protected or given the opportunities they have been accustomed to. To reiterate, the DOE has not yet been dismantled––that would likely take Congressional approval, which, despite a Republican majority, is not guaranteed to succeed. However, it is unknown what the future may hold, not just in terms of this department, but several agencies such as the Agency for International Development (I encourage you to read the Notification of Administrative Leave) and the Environmental Protection Agency.
In the midst of this chaos and uncertainty, it is important we don’t lose hope, though it may seem impossible at times. Attend protests. Share your stories. Listen to others. In not so long, this era of American history will appear in textbooks. What side do you want to be on?
