Carter’s establishment of the Department of Education has turned out to be a colossal mistake. Dismantling the federal Department of Education and transferring its powers back to the states through block grants is a powerful way for President Donald Trump to improve American education. This shift offers the flexibility, responsiveness, and diversity needed to address educational issues effectively. Here’s why devolving these powers would be a vast improvement:

First, states are better positioned to address local educational needs. With block grants, each state could prioritize its unique challenges, whether it’s urban school struggles, rural school funding gaps, or cultural differences in learning approaches. When decisions are made at the state or even local level, they are more likely to reflect the specific values, goals, and concerns of those communities. This focus can lead to quicker, more practical solutions than those created by a far-removed federal department, especially one hampered by bureaucratic red tape.

State and local control also encourages educational innovation. Under a decentralized system, states would be free to experiment with various teaching methods, curricula, and testing standards without federal constraints. Schools in states with successful programs would naturally become models, allowing other states to adopt these methods, fostering a healthy competition that drives overall improvement. The absence of a federal one-size-fits-all mandate means that states can be flexible, nimble, and responsive to new developments and trends in education.

Another critical advantage is accountability. Currently, the Department of Education has immense power yet remains detached from the everyday experiences of students, teachers, and parents. By moving responsibility to the states, accountability becomes local; voters can directly influence educational policies and outcomes through state and local elections. This would empower parents and communities, making it easier for them to ensure their voices are heard and that schools are held to high standards.

Financially, block grants would lead to better use of taxpayer money. Federal administration costs and duplicative bureaucratic processes would be reduced. Instead of funding a massive federal department, resources would go directly into the classrooms where they are needed most. These funds could support teacher salaries, classroom resources, or community-based education programs tailored to the needs of the state.

Comparatively, the Department of Education’s track record is questionable. Since its establishment in 1979, educational outcomes in the U.S. have largely stagnated or even declined in some areas. The U.S. continues to underperform in international standardized testing, with students often scoring below their peers in other developed countries in subjects like math, science, and reading. This raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of federal oversight in education. Shifting to a state-controlled model through block grants could foster a sense of urgency and competition that pushes states to improve educational outcomes and match or exceed international standards.

Furthermore, education reform has shown that a singular national standard does not always translate to success in diverse classrooms. In many cases, students in rural Montana, for example, have different educational needs than those in downtown New York City. Yet federal mandates and requirements force both schools to operate under similar frameworks, regardless of these differences. Returning power to the states would mean that policies could be crafted with a better understanding of local circumstances, leading to tailored solutions that make a real impact on students’ lives.

Parents would also benefit from this transition, as they would have a more significant influence on their children’s education. State control opens the door for a variety of schooling options, from charter schools to specialized programs, allowing parents to choose or advocate for the type of education that aligns best with their values and their children’s needs.

In short, dismantling the Department of Education and redirecting funds to the states via block grants is a smart, efficient, and innovative approach to tackling the challenges in American education. By placing control back into the hands of states, we promote flexibility, local accountability, and financial efficiency, all of which contribute to a more effective, responsive, and equitable education system.

I have heard about this idea to end the Department of Education my whole adult life. It is about time the Republicans once and for all put the block grant money where their mouth is. Regardless of Jimmy Carter’s intention at the time; putting Washington D.C. in charge of public education was an unmitigated disaster. Whether it was the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, FEMA, giving away the Panama Canal, and more; the mess Jimmy Carter left behind for America is still ongoing.

C. Rich

CRich@AmericaSpeaksInk.com

C. Rich

C. Rich is the voice behind America Speaks Ink, home to the America First Movement. As an author, poet, freelance ghostwriter, and blogger, C. Rich brings a “baked-in” perspective shaped by growing up on the streets and beaches of South Florida in the 1970s-1980s and brings a quintessential Generation-X point of view.

Rich’s writing journey began in 2008 with coverage of the Casey Anthony trial and has since evolved into a wide-ranging exploration of politics, culture, and the issues that define our times. Follow C. Rich’s writing odyssey here at America Speaks Ink and on Amazon with a four-book series on Donald Trump called “Trump Era: The MAGA Files” and many other books and subjects C. Rich is known to cover.

“America Speaks Ink is a Google News approved source for Opinion”