The Department of Education is a federal agency that protects the freedom of education and the accessibility of learning. On May 17, 1979, President Jimmy Carter signed the Department of Education into law, officially consolidating education by establishing universal standards. The Federal Department of Education is a cabinet-level bureau, meaning it is led by a secretary of education who is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Lots of speculation on the purpose of the DoEd (Department of Education) has arisen since its creation in the late nineteen hundreds. Many people don’t understand the true purpose of this agency, and with recent executive orders signed by the Trump administration, it’s hard to pick the truth from the misleading.
On March 20, President Trump signed an executive order promising to shut down the agency “once and for all.” Mr. Trump pledged “We are going to shut it down, and shut it down as quickly as possible.” Although the President does hold a lot of power, they do not have the power to shut down a government agency without the approval of congress, especially since congress created the DoEd. Unfortunately, the president does have the power to administer significant budget cuts, and the power to eliminate over half the DoEd’s workforce. Budget cuts and unemployment have not necessarily impacted our schools yet, but many teachers and administrators fear that the day will come when it will.
The Department of Education has value in our education system, even though much of its work is unknown to the public. This lack of knowledge is detrimental, as without the proper awareness, it’s easy to get lost in the misleading media about a hugely important part of American education. It’s important to be informed, as the DoEd is responsible for the success and prosperity of learning across the US. The Department of Education funds every district nationwide, focusing much of its resources on special education and students with disadvantaged backgrounds. Yet, it spends even more money on higher education with the Federal Student Loan Program and Pell Grants. The Department of Education also has regulations that give them even more power than their budget implies, as they control the distribution of funds and policies for school districts. Furthermore, the DoEd collects data on education and has an office of Civil Rights that protects the rights of all students. Mr. Lewis, Lakewood’s AP government teacher explains the role of the Department of Education in more detail.
“For our school, what the Department of Education is really important for really two things,” Lewis said. “One is making sure that our special needs students are getting the services that they need to be successful in school. And the second thing is, the Department of Education is really, really important to make sure that students of color are being treated fairly.”
The fair treatment of students is an expensive and ongoing problem, which is why the DoEd is so vital to education nationwide. Lakewood’s Head Principal, Mrs. Morgan, adds to the list of services and policies the DoEd provides.
“Federally, there’s a lot [of policies],” Morgan said. “For example, the geometry end-of-course exam. We take that test in the state of Ohio not because of a state requirement, it’s a federal requirement. That’s an example of a test we give because federally, they’re making us do it. But IDEA, section 504, so kids who are on special ed on IEPs and 504 plans, all of that is federally driven by very specific law.”
The Department of Education’s involvement in special education is highly significant in terms of the specialized/personalized needs that students with disabilities require. Yet, their funding falls short of the amount needed in our district. Dr. Palumbo, Lakewood’s assistant superintendent, highlights this issue.
“From a US Department of Education perspective, they have never fully funded special education services,” Dr. Palumbo said. “So special education services are mandated under the law, but the funds that we get to serve students with disabilities don’t come anywhere close to the amount of money we spend in serving that student population.”
Lakewood spends nearly 70 million dollars annually, and only 5 million of these dollars come from the federal government. While our district does get around 20 million from the state, we are still incredibly dependent on our taxpayers and community resources. If the Department of Education does lose funding in the future, these numbers will drop, severely hurting our student population, especially the disabled or under-resourced. Lakewood’s community supports education, our levies pass, and taxes contribute to the 70 million dollar budget we project. In other communities, they do not have this supportive community, and a 5 million dollar budget cut could seriously harm a district. While we hope it doesn’t come to this, a lack of funding could be a probability in the future.
Currently, Dr. Palumbo hasn’t seen a change in available resources.
“We have not been told that our federal funding will change. That could happen. But right now, as it stands we’ve been, you know, getting what we were allocated this year. We anticipate that we will get a very similar, if not identical, allocation next year,” Dr. Palumbo said. “I’m hopeful that those funds will continue. They’re important. You know, it doesn’t cover everything, but it helps relieve some of the burden.”
The funding from the Department of Education will never be enough for the extensive processes and materials needed for learning. Still, their attribution can truly benefit children who need it the most. Recent news has created a lot of speculation on the importance of the Department of Education, and although there are some inconsistencies in the agency, budget cuts and unemployment won’t solve any problems. Education should be the number one priority, and if learning is important to you, so is the Department of Education.
