My mom was a strong liberal, but back in the 70’s she became one of the first female school principals in our state of Illinois. When Jimmy Carter created the Department of Education, she couldn’t stand it. She had a lot to say against it. She, along with other educators, felt that they knew better about how to educate kids, given how different each part of the country is. You can’t just apply the same approach everywhere. The job markets in each state were so different from DC.
I don’t work in education, so I can’t fully speak to that side, but I thought I’d share how many educators felt about the Department of Education pushing requirements that not many people wanted or found helpful.
Eventually, my mom left the education field after being harassed by board members, joined the Peace Corps, and helped teach young educators abroad. Just wanted to add some perspective about her character.
It’s important to remember that personal stories don’t always help when evaluating public policy. Everyone has their own experience with institutions like the education system, but the bigger picture comes from looking at lots of data and research. The Department of Education doesn’t set national curriculums or directly oversee teachers, that’s mostly up to state and local governments. In fact, the Department provides the least amount of funding to schools. Most funding comes from states and local governments.
The real role of the Department of Education is to handle federal student aid, track statistics on schools, make sure anti-discrimination laws are followed, and provide grants for things like free or reduced-price school lunches. These are all incredibly important, especially considering the inequalities many minorities and low-income students face.
Instead of trying to undermine the Department, we need to make sure it’s supported more now than ever.
@Beatrix2
They also play a role in making sure schools support students with special needs, including 504 and SPED services. Before the Department of Education existed, kids with minor learning disabilities would simply drop out of school. More severe disabilities meant being isolated in rooms with no support or stimulation.
OP, don’t generalize. My mom was also a teacher in Illinois in the 1970s, but she didn’t share your mother’s views. She actually thought federal leadership was important. The Department of Education was never meant to take over local control, it was supposed to help standardize and emphasize education at the federal level. It’s unfortunate your mother didn’t see it that way. Maybe you could learn more about it yourself.
keny said:
I honestly can’t wait for the Department of Education to be shut down.
If that happens, I can’t wait to see how it negatively impacts people like you who don’t get it.
As long as the focus is on actually teaching kids and improving their education, I’m all for it. Teachers who only care about their jobs or money are a big part of the problem. Kids are being left behind and dumbed down, so any move that shifts the focus back to real education will be good for me.