President Trump recently signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, the federal agency responsible for managing federal funding for certain school districts, enforcing civil rights laws, maintaining access for students with disabilities and overseeing $1.6 trillion in student loans. Trump said the department, which was created by Congress in 1979, is wasteful, and that his goal is to return education authority to the states.
"We're going to shut it down as quickly as possible," Trump said in March. But the president cannot completely eliminate the department on his own. Dismantling it would require the approval of Congress.
Many educators argued that key services and funding the department provides are critical and cannot be replicated on the state level, and that its closure would put vulnerable students at risk. Others said that its shuttering would not affect their students, and that it is time for a change.
Yahoo News asked teachers, administrators and other school staff around the country for their reactions to Trump's order, and how dismantling the Department of Education would affect their schools and students — and hundreds replied.
Here are just some of the responses we received, edited only for length and clarity.
I work in a Title 1 school. My students are affected by poverty which puts them at a disadvantage for receiving a proper education. They really do not stand a chance if the programs we offer are stripped away. All students in my school receive free breakfast and lunches. We offer an academic/enrichment after-school program as well where students can continue their learning after school. Without these programs these children will not be able to reach their potential. Just because they suffer a life of poverty is no reason they should suffer an adult life of poverty. They are our future.
— D. Froio, 52, elementary school reading teacher from Syracuse, N.Y.
I am not a Trump voter, but I am okay with dismantling the DOE. I have taught during the years of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. Both of those initiatives proved to be failures that encouraged schools to chase test scores and try to quantify student progress in ways that were arbitrary and not beneficial. While I am concerned about protecting all students and their rights to a free and appropriate education and the federal funds that support that work, I believe that is done more effectively at the local level without the federal government’s intervention.
— Brandon, 40, sixth grade English teacher from Chicago
“Dismantling” is scare-tactic language. However, I agree with what he is doing. The Department of Education in our country is an inflated institution with little to no idea how to best help educators in the field every day. I agree that states and even counties (parishes in our state) best know how to utilize and spend monies to optimize learning in students and job performance in teachers.
— Monica Broussard, 51, high school philosophy teacher from Lake Charles, La.
I won’t pretend that I’m some kind of super expert on the Department of Education. That said, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If education is supposed to be incredibly important, if our kids are supposed to be the future leaders of the world, why is it that we keep shortchanging them? We apparently have enough money to give a bunch of tax breaks, but are also so poor that we need to pinch pennies for education. All I’ve heard is that the DOE is pointless or a waste, but no one has actually given a clear reason why that is outside of political buzzwords. Even though I teach in the city, I’m worried about my rural counterparts. From my understanding, they have even less resources than I do. What’s gonna happen to them when even more is taken?
— S. Brown, 35, sixth grade social studies teacher from Aurora, Colo.
I think it's awesome. There's so much bureaucracy, red tape, and "good buddy" system enmeshed everywhere. It'll be nice to give the power back to the states to decide what and where. The items we're most concerned about in regards to low income funding will be "safe." The media is allowing the public to believe otherwise.
— JM, 56, high school Spanish and French teacher from Beaufort, S.C.
I teach chemistry to honor students that plan to go to college. Our campus is a Title 1 campus, meaning we educate a high number of economically disadvantaged students. I am concerned that our campus will not receive Title 1 funds we use to buy supplies, including lab equipment and chemicals. I am also concerned that my students will not be able to take out student loans when they get to college, and that as colleges lose funding they won't offer as many scholarships. This might make it impossible for many of my students to pay for college even though they have the grades to get in.
— Aubrey Lopez, 40, high school chemistry teacher from Victoria, Texas
Let’s try it. What we are doing now is failing massively. Kids getting moved to the next grade and still can’t read or do simple math because we aren’t teaching the fundamentals. You can’t build on sand because sooner or later the structure will fall.
— Simon C., 46, elementary school physical education teacher from Halls, Tenn.
Shuttering the Education Department would be a huge loss for our students. They need the support of the department in order to have their educational needs met, and have any chance to reach their full potential. As an ELL specialist, I do not just work with students who have language needs, but I also work with all students who need differentiated instruction. Those who are visual learners at times require an alternative approach to information, just as audial and kinesthetic learners. Without the DOE supporting differential instruction, many students would be left to struggle, possibly not acquiring the knowledge skills necessary to progress and be successful as adults so they can contribute to the economy.
— Kathi FH, 70, an English language learning specialist from Lawrence, Kan.
I think that the federal Department of Education uses funding as a way to manipulate local school districts. It also places priority on special education at the cost of the rest of the students. I would not mind seeing this department shut down and restarted with all students in mind. I do think a federal DOE is needed but it needs to change in a big way. Probably best to get rid of it and start over.
— S. Palmer, 41, high school world history teacher from Miami, Ariz.
This is an awful idea. The DOE was established because the states were not, could not or blatantly would not follow federal law about education; particularly racial equality in education. I do not yet know how it will affect my students, but I do know it will affect my children and their chances at fair student loans, a college education, and their freedom of speech while in college. There is no way another department will be able to do the DOE jobs as well as the dedicated professionals from the DOE were doing those jobs.
— John B., 58, seventh and eighth grade U.S. history teacher from Fairbanks, Alaska
If it cuts red tape at the federal level, keeps funding the same for states, and prevents local districts from being sued by the federal government, then I like it. If it cuts funding to public schools, it will be terrible.
— James S., 42, high school world history and English teacher from Sturgis, Mich.
Personally losing the Department of Education will have a negative impact on me and my students in many ways. The funding for my position is directly from the Department of Education. I am fully funded out of federal Title 1 money. My students will be harmed by not having access to life changing lessons. I work with students teaching skills to regulate their emotions. The Trump administration is actively hostile to these lessons. My school will lose out due to a lack of these skills being taught. Suspensions will increase, aggressive acts by students will increase and parents will choose to take their students out of school.
— Alan Hand, 59, K-5 behavioral specialist in Statesville, N.C.
It is a great idea. It will reduce wasteful spending, help target educational programs at a local level, educate students to become better and more functional adults. School choice will be a great next step.
— Kadence Koen, 47, high school teacher from Springfield, Ill.
It’s disgraceful that Trump wants to shutter the Department of Education, especially when he has no real understanding of the challenges faced by lower- and middle-income families. The department exists to ensure fair and equitable access to education, particularly for underprivileged and disabled students — those who need support the most. Dismantling it would strip away crucial protections and opportunities, all to serve a political agenda that thrives on ignorance and blind loyalty. Bullies always hate when people are empowered through education.
— Brian K., 55, high school science teacher in Las Vegas
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