Department of Education

[Jolly]

The department was founded in 1979 to close achievement gaps. Those gaps have gotten wider, not narrower.

Trump wants to turn education back to the states through block grants and eventually abolishing the department. Presently, the feds furnish 10% of school funding, but they impose a stack of rules.

Does Trump have a point?

[Horace]

Sure, I guess he has a point. We could probably improve results by abolishing it. Let the states be laboratories of better ideas.

The greatest enemy will always be the idea of formal education supremacy. Where people put through identical formal education will come out with identical skills. Every rational and true argument against that idea quickly leads to ideas that are off-limits reputationally. So, there's no defeating it in the public square. Formal education will remain our ultimate answer to questions of disparity of outcome, and it will remain an inadequate answer.

[Renauda]

@Horace

Let the states be laboratories of better ideas

That’s exactly how our federal system here works with K - 12 education. Strictly under provincial jurisdiction, no dedicated federal funding, oversight or meddling. Constitutionally out of bounds for the feds.

We’d be more than happy to share the blueprint with Washington. That’s what good neighbours and partners do.

[Mik]

It’s a local issue. Let it be local and not let the federal tentacles in.

[jon-nyc]

The department was founded in the 1860s, functions moved to the Department of Interior shortly afterward. Eisenhower moved it to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) in the 50 as part of a broader reorganization. They then spun it out of HEW to become a standalone department again in 1979 and renamed the rest of HEW as Health and Human Services. Guys my age and older here remember HEW.

Re its future, go through the functions it serves, decide which are worth saving and which not and act accordingly. Of course the functions they save (and 100% there will be some) they will want to move to another department because their base won’t follow the details, they’ll only know if they close the department or not.

[Horace]

@jon-nyc An executive summary that the office has been abolished will continue to be meaningful. I will follow with interest the details of how meaningful.

[Axtremus]

@Mik said in Department of Education:

Let it be local and not let the federal tentacles in.

Why?

[jon-nyc]

Let’s do a really obvious example. You probably want someone in government to continue to service existing student loans, even if you abolish new ones. Re the latter, good luck getting moderates on board with abolishing Pell grants and student loans completely (though I could see them reigning them in and support that myself)

So it really is a function-by-function analysis.

[Mik]

@Axtremus said in Department of Education:

@Mik said in Department of Education:

Let it be local and not let the federal tentacles in.

Why?

If you knew anyone close who worked in public education you’d know.

[89th]

I'm not educated enough to really have an opinion, ironically. I do think a function by function analysis makes sense (and honestly is the only way it'll happen, if at all). Either way, it seems there can be a big improvement on learning standards, culture, and curriculum.

[taiwan_girl]

[Jolly]

Big whoop.

Overall, it's about 10%. Keep the money in block grants, kill a lot of the rules which result in an army of paper shufflers at the local and state level, set some national goals and get out of the way.

[taiwan_girl]

@Jolly I dont disagree, but I dont know enough about that department to make any intelligent comments. (but I guess that has never stop me before 5555)

[LuFins Dad]

@taiwan_girl said in Department of Education:

@Jolly I dont disagree, but I dont know enough about that department to make any intelligent comments. (but I guess that has never stop me anybody on the forum before 5555)

FIFY

[taiwan_girl]

@LuFins-Dad

[Mik]

@Jolly said in Department of Education:

Big whoop.

Overall, it's about 10%. Keep the money in block grants, kill a lot of the rules which result in an army of paper shufflers at the local and state level, set some national goals and get out of the way.

Completely agree. Get the federal tentacles out of the schools. Federal money is very much like the pusher giving you enough free dope to get you addicted. then the price goes up.

[LuFins Dad]

Here’s the deal. You want education to improve? Have 50 departments trying different things rather than 1 dictating for everybody.

[jon-nyc]

Im no expert but I think they backed off national standards. That was a W thing.

[Jolly]

No Child Left Behind.

Sadly, some children aren't of normal intelligence. Inclusion slows things down.

[Jolly]

Shut it down!

https://www.thefp.com/p/betsy-devos-shut-down-the-department-of-education-trump-elon