By Worker Wire Services.
Flanked by a gaggle of schoolchildren, President Trump signed an order on March 20th directing the Secretary of Education – professional wrestling promoter Linda McMahon – to prepare the Department of Education to be closed and “return authority over education to the States and local communities”. The familiar calls of “state’s rights” echo conservative talking points for a variety of issues throughout the nation’s history. In combination with states’ push to siphon public funds to private schools through voucher schemes and “school choice”, this attempt to deprive American children of their right to education is transparent.
The executive order is a blatant power-grab for the Executive branch as only Congress has the authority to shutter the Department. Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate to close the Department and seem all-too-happy to cede their Constitutionally-appointed power to the Executive. With only John Roberts’ captured Supreme Court standing in the way, the centralization of more power under the Executive branch seems inevitable.
The Department of Education provides critical services to Americans. For example, the Department ensures access to and provides funding for services that serve low-income and special needs students. Without these funds and regulatory power of the Department on states, the most vulnerable American children stand to suffer the most. These federal funds allow schools to hire additional teachers, provide professional development for educators, purchase technology to enhance learning, and implement programs such as tutoring, after-school programs, and summer school.
The Trump administration has claimed with a flimsy hand-wave that these critical programs will simply be moved to another Federal Department. Education advocates see through this facade and are sounding the alarm in an attempt to protect the rights of schoolchildren. The generational impacts of this decision will echo for years or decades to come as States are given free reign to discriminate against students and deprive them of funds simply because of their household’s income, their ability, race, or religious affiliation. This will widen the already considerable gap in American education, allowing only the privileged and wealthy access to quality education services. Americans must stand united and demand protection for this targeted Department and demand this order to be declared as unconstitutional.
