Unburdened by Bureaucracy

It is time to abolish the Department of Education

Newton’s First Law of Motion says, in part, “An object at rest stays at rest…” Physics tells us that the more mass an object has, the more force it takes to overcome inertia and move it.

This same principle can be applied to government. As government has become more massive, making changes has also become more difficult. In the 45 years I’ve been involved in politics, my party—the GOP—has consistently talked about shrinking the size of government. Just like in physics, overcoming inertia—especially in government—is no easy task. The GOP has not been very successful in shrinking the size of government. At best, we've managed to slow its growth, but not reverse it.

Physics tells us that overcoming inertia requires force. The more massive the object, the more force required. Love him or hate him, Trump is undeniably a political force. He might finally accomplish what Republicans have discussed since Ronald Reagan: dismantling the Department of Education.

In 236 years, only one cabinet department has ever been abolished: the Post Office Department, which was reorganized in 1971. While some departments have been reshuffled, none have been fully eliminated. In 1947, the War and Navy Departments were combined to become the Department of Defense. In 1979, the Department of Health Education and Welfare was split into the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education.

Ironically, inertia never seems to prevent the creation of new cabinet departments—only their elimination. In the last 50 years, Jimmy Carter established the Departments of Energy and Education, and George W. Bush created the Department of Homeland Security.

In his first State of the Union address, Ronald Reagan called for the abolition of the Department of Education. Newt Gingrich’s 1994 Contract with America also called for the abolition of the Department of Education and a return of education policy to the states and local communities.

This week when asked about the Department of Education, President Trump said,

"Oh, I’d like it to be closed immediately. Look at the Department of Education. It’s a big con job. They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked number 40, but we’re ranked number 1 in one department: cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked number 40."

Critics have questioned the accuracy of these rankings. However, international education rankings can vary depending on the source, but what’s undisputed is that American education has not significantly improved since the Department of Education was created.

The U.S. Constitution does not assign the federal government a role in education. Under the 10th Amendment, education policy falls under the powers “that are reserved to the states or the people.”

Every community has a school board, and every state has a department or board of education. The Department of Education is redundant. Supporters point out that the department gives money to the states to fund education. This is true, but it ignores that the money came from the states in the first place. The Department of Education takes money from the states, adds bureaucratic overhead—such as salaries and administrative costs—and then returns only a portion of it back to the states.

The 10th Amendment prevents the Department of Education from directly dictating educational policy to the states. However, it uses federal funding as leverage to pressure states into compliance.

The Department of Education has stripped local and state governments of policy control, insulating policymakers from the families and communities they should serve. Decisions about curriculum, standards, and funding should be made by those closest to the students—parents, teachers, and local leaders—not bureaucrats in Washington.

It is time to dismantle the Department of Education. Other departments could pick up some functions, but the majority should revert back to the states and local communities where they belong.

Ronald Reagan famously said,

“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help.”

The Department of Education has been no help. It’s time to shut it down.

David Chung is a Gazette editorial fellow. david.chung@thegazette.com