Former President Donald Trump used public education as a weapon in his White House campaign, continuing to fight DEI programs and even threatening to shut down the Department of Education.
he is not alone.
Republicans have consistently attacked public schools and teachers unions while promoting vouchers and other initiatives that drain resources from classrooms. The idea of shutting down the Department of Education has been a Republican rallying cry for decades.
I recently saw an interview with President Trump on “Fox & Friends” in which he claimed, “I’m going to take over the Department of Education, I’m going to shut it down, I’m going to shut it down.”
President Trump’s oath supports a broader agenda aimed at reducing federal oversight in education and limiting government spending on essential services, as outlined in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. It reflects.
Opinion: Our military has the right to vote. Trump is trying to suppress that right of theirs.
Republicans have long criticized the Department of Education.
The Department of Education was created in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter’s administration to improve access to education and increase federal funding for schools.
Republicans criticized its creation, arguing that it was an overreach of the federal government’s role and an expansion of the bureaucracy.
Efforts to dissolve the department failed, but the idea of abolishing the department keeps alive the small-government rhetoric used by Republicans during the campaign.
Republicans argue that the federal government’s presence in education stifles creativity, inflates spending and weakens local governance.
Federal oversight helps ensure educational equity
However, the federal government provides educational funding, such as student loans, special education grants, and Title I dollars, to schools that serve low-income students.
Shutting down the department could strip school districts of billions of dollars in federal funding they rely on.
Opinion: Pay is low and expectations are high. My life as a teacher was full of frustration. And I’m grateful.
Since its establishment, the Department has enforced civil rights laws in the field of education and ensured that students with disabilities, minorities, and other marginalized groups receive equal treatment and opportunity.
Eliminating that oversight would eliminate federal protections for these groups and lead to widening disparities in our nation’s public schools.
As Americans, we must recognize the danger of education falling victim to political rhetoric. And we must continue to fight for equal access to education, rather than weaponizing it.
Mara Bautista is a military fellow columnist for USA TODAY Opinion.
