Today’s announcement speaks not only to this administration’s lack of understanding about the role and functions of the U.S. Department of Education but also its complete disregard for the education of our students. The children who will suffer the most are the ones who need the greatest support; there’s just no way around it.
From the start, this administration has failed to understand the Department of Education’s essential function and purpose. While the Department is charged with the distribution of funds, it also has critical oversight over how those funds are used, assuring that every child has equitable access to public education and that families receive the assistance they need. Moving these functions outside the umbrella of the Department of Education effectively makes it impossible for families to navigate these systems.
This effort to deregulate and decentralize education at the federal level opens the gateway for voucher schemes, school privatization, and other abusive practices our government has traditionally held at bay. A lot of this is motivated by the desire to get education money into private equity interests of the Betsy DeVos era. We’ve seen time and again that when we privatize, we create an even wider gap between the haves and the have-nots.
We will continue to fight back, take up these issues, and work with our partners around the country to ensure our children receive the education and services they need and deserve.
