The Department of Education is a major part of the federal government. Its job is to manage and oversee the education system in the United States. I believe we should get rid of the Department of Education for a few important reasons: it creates waste, limits local decision-making and has shown to be ineffective when used widely.
A key reason some people want to get rid of the Department of Education is that it does not work very well. The federal government is well-known for its complicated rules and procedures. It’s many rules, reporting demands and funding conditions create challenges for state and local education systems. The department’s dependence on standardized tests and data gathering has resulted in a large and complicated administrative system. When schools focus more on meeting federal rules instead of really improving education they often waste time and resources. This usually doesn’t lead to any real improvement in the quality of education.
Additionally, the Department of Education limits local control and independence which are key parts of a successful education system. People who are closest to the students—like parents, teachers and local school boards—should decide education policy. Every community has its own special needs and priorities that are best understood and tackled right where they are.
Rural Michigan and downtown Atlanta Georgia are very different from each other. However, the education system does not change to meet the specific needs of these areas right now. When the Department of Education sets federal rules it takes away the ability of local school districts to adjust their lessons and teaching styles to fit the unique needs of their students. Local control is important for addressing various cultural, economic and educational issues.
By removing the Department of Education we can give decision-making power back to those who know their communities best. Instead of putting more money into a system that has problems it would be better to let states create their own plans for improvement. This way they can focus on local changes that directly tackle the needs of their students.
By abolishing the department, we would return power to the local level, where it belongs, and allow communities to create educational systems that are more flexible, innovative, and responsive to their specific needs. It would also allow feedback to be heard much quicker and on a direct level. Education is too important to be left in the hands of distant bureaucrats who are disconnected from the reality of students’ daily lives, and we must trust local leaders to provide the best possible education for their children.
