Seasoned professionals needed for education, advocate says
The Trump Administration took another step toward dismantling the Department of Education today with a plan that turns its back on supporting children by allocating the department’s functions among other agencies and pointedly removes seasoned education experts from the process.
“The Administration’s action clearly aims to eliminate the one-and-only cabinet-level agency focused on children without the consent of Congress, which is legally required,” said First Focus on Children President Bruce Lesley. “The Department of Education exists to ensure that all of the nation’s students receive a well-rounded, equitable education, regardless of their economic status or physical or mental abilities. K–12 education exists not only to prepare students for the workforce but also to build a stronger democracy, foster social-emotional learning, and nurture the next generation.
“Education agendas, funding, and curriculums already reside with the states, who rely on guidance from the education professionals at the federal level. Dispersing federal education activities among multiple agencies is sure to create a tangled web of bureaucracy and administrative confusion. This move is, quite simply, a terrible idea being executed to the detriment of children.”
The Administration will reallocate certain Department of Education functions to the departments of Labor, State, Interior, and Health and Human Services. The Department of Labor is set to take on major responsibilities for federal K-12 programs and to integrate them with employment and training programs.