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11. Department of Education (Summary)
Author: Lindsey M. Burke
Summary:
- Federal Education Policy: The federal government’s role in education should be limited, ultimately leading to the elimination of the Department of Education. The focus should be on empowering students and families rather than expanding governmental control.
- Education Funding: Education should be publicly funded, but decisions on spending should be made by families, enabling them to choose the best educational options for their children. States like Arizona have already implemented successful programs like Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).
- State-Led Reforms: States have pioneered reforms in K-12 education, and the future of education reform is promising, especially if federal regulations and red tape are reduced.
- Higher Education: Federal policy should focus on economic growth, intellectual diversity, and workforce skills. The current model of open-ended subsidies to traditional colleges should be rebalanced, with an emphasis on apprenticeship programs and career and technical education.
- Historical Context: The U.S. Department of Education was established in 1979, following a period of expanding federal involvement in education since the 1960s. This expansion was driven by laws like the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Higher Education Act, which aimed to improve outcomes for disadvantaged students.
- Bureaucratic Expansion: The Department of Education has become a tool for special interest groups to expand federal expenditures, leading to increased bureaucracy and inefficiency without corresponding improvements in student outcomes.
- Principles for Reform: The next Administration should advance education freedom, provide education choice, restore state and local control over funding, protect taxpayer investments, and safeguard civil rights while preventing executive overreach.
- Needed Reforms: Federal intervention in education has failed to promote student achievement, and reforms should focus on streamlining programs, reducing bureaucracy, and transferring many federal education programs to other agencies.
Analysis:
- Potential Impact: If the ideas in this chapter were implemented by the U.S. government, there could be a significant shift in education policy, moving power from federal to state and local levels. This decentralization could lead to increased diversity in educational options and potentially more innovative approaches to education. However, there could also be challenges, such as unequal access to quality education across different states and potential conflicts over the reallocation of federal funds.
- Economic Ramifications: Rebalancing federal support toward workforce skills and technical education could help align educational outcomes with economic needs, but it might also reduce funding for traditional liberal arts programs.
- Political and Social Implications: Reducing federal oversight could spark debates over states’ rights and the role of government in ensuring equal educational opportunities, particularly for marginalized communities.
- Legal Considerations: The proposed reforms could lead to significant legal challenges, particularly around civil rights enforcement, as the federal government’s role in protecting these rights could be diminished.
Tags:
- Education Policy
- Federalism
- School Choice
- Higher Education Reform
- Education Savings Accounts
Read the original chapter text here: https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf#page=352