The federal government has spent over $3 trillion on education since 1979, yet American students remain shockingly unprepared for the modern world. The data paint an undeniable picture of failure: more than 60% of fourth graders and 74% of eighth graders are not proficient in math, while 70% of fourth and eighth graders fall below proficiency in reading. Worse still, nearly 40% of fourth graders cannot even meet the most basic reading benchmarks. These grim statistics are compounded by America’s dismal performance on the world stage—U.S. students now rank 28th out of 37 OECD nations in mathematics, despite the fact that America spends more per pupil than almost every other developed nation.
For decades, the Department of Education (DOE) has expanded its reach, ballooning into a bloated bureaucracy that does little beyond imposing federal mandates, increasing paperwork and diverting funds from classrooms into administrative overhead. As spending has skyrocketed—per-pupil expenditures rising over 245% since 1979—student achievement has remained stagnant or declined. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores reveal that math and reading performance among 17-year-olds is virtually unchanged since the early 1970s, despite the massive influx of federal dollars. In other words, trillions have been spent for no discernible improvement. If education spending were the key to success, American students should be leading the world. Instead, they are falling further behind.
President Donald J. Trump has recognized the urgent need to break free from this cycle of inefficiency and failure. His signing of an executive order to eliminate the Department of Education and return control to the states is not just an act of administrative restructuring—it is a moral imperative. By dismantling the federal education bureaucracy, Trump is ensuring that resources flow directly to students and teachers, rather than being siphoned off by distant bureaucrats who have failed America’s children for nearly half a century.
Opponents of Trump’s decision argue that eliminating the DOE will create chaos, but the reality is quite the opposite. The Constitution never granted the federal government control over education; historically, states and local communities have always been best positioned to address the unique needs of their students. In fact, some of the highest-performing education systems in the world—such as Finland and Switzerland—are highly decentralized, allowing local decision-making to drive results. America must return to this model of state and local governance to foster innovation, competition and accountability.
Moreover, research overwhelmingly supports the idea that decentralized education models, such as school choice, charter schools and voucher programs, produce better results. For example, charter school students gain an average of 16 additional days of learning in reading and six extra days in math per year compared to their public-school peers. School choice initiatives have similarly been shown to increase high school graduation rates and improve college enrollment outcomes, particularly for low-income students. These policies empower parents and teachers rather than federal bureaucrats—precisely the philosophy behind Trump’s executive order.
Contrast this with the DOE’s long history of failures. Even the Department’s own flagship programs, such as Title I funding for low-income schools, have shown little to no measurable impact on student achievement. A federal study on the effectiveness of School Improvement Grants—one of the DOE’s most expensive interventions—found that after spending $7 billion, the program yielded no significant difference in test scores, graduation rates or college enrollment compared to schools that did not receive the funding. This is not an isolated case; it is emblematic of a bureaucratic black hole where tax dollars disappear with nothing to show for them.
President Trump’s approach is not simply about cutting waste—it is about fundamentally rethinking education in America. The DOE has failed not just in academics but in fostering ideological conformity at the expense of educational rigor. Recent years have seen an explosion of politicized curricula, where social activism has supplanted core competencies like math, science and history. Returning control to the states allows communities to prioritize education that aligns with their values and prepares students for the workforce rather than ideological indoctrination.
Furthermore, eliminating the DOE will mean fewer onerous federal regulations dictating how teachers operate in their own classrooms. Educators often report that they spend more time complying with federal paperwork than actually teaching students. The administrative burden placed on schools by federal mandates—often amounting to millions of hours of compliance work—is a massive drain on resources and morale. Trump’s executive order will remove these shackles and restore autonomy to local educators who understand their students’ needs far better than Washington bureaucrats.
America cannot afford to continue down this path of stagnation, waste and mediocrity. The evidence is clear: federal control has failed, and continued bureaucratic expansion will only deepen our education crisis. Trump’s decision to eliminate the DOE is not just fiscally responsible—it is the bold, necessary action needed to rescue American education. By shifting power back to states, schools, teachers and parents, his administration is making a historic investment in educational excellence—one that ensures America’s children are no longer shackled by a broken, bureaucratic system but instead equipped to compete, innovate and thrive in the 21st century.
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As I’ve said many times, I worked for many years in a school district Administration, leaving the year the Federal DOE was established. During that time the Districts had what they called “cooperative programs with four or five districts joined and established programs, such as for those who were tot academically inclined;, there were all types of programs ad workshops such as electricians, plumbers, mechanics, woodworkers, such as carving and other special leaning centers operated among four or five districts. The district I worked for was called a “Basic school district” meaning that we received $25 per regular student because the district was surrounded by what was then Aircraft Companies which were highly taxed, and the taxes maintained the school district. The district received Special funds for Special students requiring special education and special teachers. Our district always scoured HIGH in State testing The district staffed included Counselors, Speech Therapists, Psychologists, nurses on site . Many of the graduates, including my next door neighbor’s daughter, received scholarships o Harvard and other Ivy League institutes.
I left the district the year the Federal DOE was established, to pursue further education You couldn’t pay me enough to work in ANY school district ANYWERE these days
All of what has transpired over the past decades was planned by the deap DC Swamp unpatriotic politicians. They along with the corrupt judges are the ones doing everything to block what Trump’s administration is trying to accomplish.
Closing the US DOE will be a great step toward education reform, however, the state governments also impose burdensome regulations as well as indoctrination onto the local school districts. There is really no local control without ending state departments of education.
In Oregon our many school districts are divided into regions, and each region has an Education Service District which provides continuing ed for teachers, educational specialists such as occupational therapists, speech therapists, etc. ESD’s also provide practical help such as lamination, providing technical assistance, etc. Perhaps block grants from the state for these types of services could be provided by the state rather than choosing curriculum, imposing multiple regulations, etc.
Until each local school board (consisting of community members uncontrolled by outside money) has control of it’s own schools with active parental & community input, true education will not happen.
Thank you!
Look the government always messes things up when they get involved in private matters. That includes Schools, Healthcare, Education, the politicians by nature are crooks, they sneak, steal, lie, cover up, Taxpayers Money, and it has to stop immediately, no more allowing them to take what ever they want from what ever place they can get their greedy hands on, most are for disgusting, immoral, vulgar, perverted garbage, like using slush funds to pay for their indiscretions sexual, criminally, and hid it from The Taxpayers and it is Our Money, that’s why all slush funds made illegal, lobbyists, illegal, and those that have used Taxpayers Money must repay it immediately, including those that have left office as well, and anyone of these politicians that came in office not a millionaire but now are we are to see where that money came from if found to be illegal assets property confiscated, and prosecuted real time in a real prison, really we Ned to see their Tax Records every year, including family members that they hid money need these politicians held accountable pelosi, schummer, schiff, nadler, romney, cheney, mcconell, many others we know have done illegal activities time to pay the piper and all money gotten goes straight to Social Security, No Exceptions, No Excuses, No Plea deal, double to triple the sentences because of the position they held
Yes and the children are not as bright as they use to be teaching sex and immoral garbage instead of what they really need to learn including hands on cooking, machine, deferent jobs, like years ago, working on cars, to metal works, home repairs, schools need to teach what is real and the Constitution, Rights, they don’t even teach writing anymore but all the perverted garbage that needs Stopped
I graduated HS in 3 years vs 4 back in the mid 1970’s when that was unheard of.
As an “aging Boomer”, i can do math in my head, including percentages. I can type faster with less mistakes than my AI computer tries to “voice recogniition” as I speak to it. I’ve owned and own successful companies without a college degree. I used to read one big thick book every one-two days. The list goes on and on.
When my kids were in school and “New Math” was introduced, I taught them REAL math and they exceled at it.
It’s sad to think that American kids cannot read, write, speak proper English and do not know the basics of education. Even younger adults are “TV educated” And newscasters? The worst! irregardless, more happy vs happier, etc etc. UGH
I ‘ve lived in foreign countries where the education levels are low. Where people have to remember COLORS of their money since they can’t really add. They just know two “red ones” will buy 1/2 gallon milk, etc. I use translator on my phone, only to realize the person on the other end cannot really read. They misspell in their own language!
The teachers I growing up were AMAZING – they were fun, inventive and we, students, LEARNED.
Let’s hope that these changes up the game for our younger, upcoming generations. It’s sad when a Chinese kid on an abacus can count faster than an American kid using a calculator
When we ran certain, well known, learning centers, it was obvious that the current method of education for our kids, was failing miserably. Those kids were mentally abused when their teachers found out. It sucks BAD!
Look at your kids test scores etc since 1979 to date
Gone down
Have States run Education NOT Fed Govt
Centralized education is a communist idea, making everyone the same, aka, “Outcome Based Education,” an idea from the Clinton Administration. Anytime the Federal Government hatches an idea; they hold up a carrot (money) to attract the several states to adopt it. At the same time, what the Federal Government does is attach “terms and conditions,” in compliance to receive the Federal funding. As an example; a psychologist in every school, lest a “free thinker” becomes a loose cannon, which makes it a foregone conclusion to prescribe “Ritalin,” to keep children’s minds under control by the government.