Staff ReportsPresident Trump’s latest move to shrink the government has stirred quite the pot, and it’s about time. The focus of this initiative? The Department of Education, that gigantic bureaucratic whirlwind that burns taxpayer money faster than a wildfire in dry brush. With an annual budget of $80 billion, this department has not only failed to boost student performance but has seen test scores plummet to the point where they make a lead balloon look like a hot air balloon.
Under scrutiny for its colossal spending and questionable efficacy, Trump aims to deliver on his campaign promise to abolish the Education Department altogether, possibly transferring its responsibilities to other sectors of the government. While the specifics remain tightly under wraps, aides have hinted that an executive order is in the works. Perhaps the message is that it’s time to give local schools back the reins and cut off the strings this federal behemoth has attached.
Critics are lining up to point fingers at a department rife with redundancy, incompetence, and a spending spree on diversity and inclusion initiatives that locals didn’t ask for. All that extra cash means less for actual educational resources, while the government continues to meddle in local education autonomy. It’s hard to imagine a better deal for bureaucrats than siphoning off funds meant for children and tossing regions a measly trickle back with a load of conditions.
With the Education Department birthed in the late 70s under President Carter—arguably a move driven more by political ambitions than educational reform—the time has come to realize that federal involvement in education is not constitutionally sound. It has, according to advocates of downsizing, merely become a cash-consuming monster. The idea is out there that the federal government should stick to enumerated powers, and education simply isn’t one of them. According to education experts like Neal McCluskey from the Cato Institute, the department doesn’t provide education; it just takes funds, creates paperwork, and pulls a sleight of hand to make it all seem legitimate.
Trump plans move to dismantle federal Education Departmenthttps://t.co/MfUZZNc6Rc pic.twitter.com/Luoi0HzrQH
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) February 5, 2025
Ignoring the steady decline in student performance while pouring more dollars into federal control is nothing short of baffling. Federal staffing is ballooning, which, in turn, leads to absurdly high salaries for Education Department employees, averaging around $113,000 a year. It’s a far cry from teachers struggling to make sense of their own paychecks. Meanwhile, the latest test scores reveal a shocking reality: students are lagging, with a significant decline in fundamental skills since federal funding exploded. The more money funneled into red tape, the worse the outcomes appear—thus flipping the script on the entire reasoning behind increased educational spending.
With Trump’s recent calls for a definitive reduction in government departmental size, the Department of Education undeniably finds itself in the crosshairs. The chances of real change rely on Congress, and while any elimination of the department may face hurdles, attempts to strip funding could set the stage for a complete overhaul. The ugly truth is that federal involvement has not improved education; it’s merely perpetuated a system where taxpayers foot the bill while their children continue to fall behind. As time ticks away, the urgency to reevaluate the future of education in America becomes clearer. A government that educates less and avoids wasteful spending may just be the solution the nation needs.
