Dismantle the Dept of Ed or it’s Pillars

This years presidential election is one of extreme polarization. Both right and left have strong views on which way the country should go. One of these topics is the Federal Dept of Education. I have been a part of conversation where a large group of Americans feel we need to abolish the Fed Dept of Ed. Groups like the Heritage Foundation and their Project 2025 propose dismantling the Department of Education and other federal agencies. I wanted to take time and dive into this topic myself and hear from others how they feel about the dismantling of the Department of Education.

The first thing to look at is the Original Department of Education and when it was created. "The Dept of ED was created 1867 to collect information on schools and teachings that would help the States build effective school systems”. Quoted from the Dept of ED page. I also pulled up old news paper articles from June 20 1866 The Buffalo Commercial (Page 4). THE DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION BILL PASSED, Where is goes on to say it was rejected on the 8th of June by calling it the bureau of education and instead Dept of ED. The bill was reconsidered and passed 80-44. Where it provides as follows: "That there shall be established at the city of Washington a dept of education for the purpose of collecting such statistics and facts as show the condition and progress of education in the several States and Territories and of diffusing such information respecting the organization and management of the school system and methods of teaching as shall aid the people of the United States in establishment and maintenance of different cause of education and otherwise promote the education throughout the country.” When put like that, it does not sound like a bad idea. As many of things in life it to has change over time. Things like the Morrill Act in 1890, World War II lead to the The Lanham Act in 1941, Cold War, anti-poverty and civil rights laws and in 1980, Congress established the Department of Education as a Cabinet level agency.

So what is the Mission for the Dept of Education? From the Government web site "its official mission: to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.” With the 2025 Fiscal year Budget the Biden-Harris Administration is looking at a $82.4 billion Budget Requests 4% increase from the 2024 fiscal year. A break down can be found on the ed.gov website, but is this enough?

Now that you have some of the background, let’s talk real world shall we. I was able to take part in an X Space recently which was attended by some that had children in school and some with children out of school, and others did not have children but referenced their own childhood memories to answer my question. This group offered their input into what they believe is right and wrong with the education system. It was a very respectful conversation where not everyone agreed but were able to hear the differing points of view. I asked the questions and the speakers each gave their input. Some responses were passionate at times as well as thought provoking.If you would like to listen to our discussion it can be found on X @JenniferCh41259 Titled Adulting - Who Knew. I recommend you take a listen.

I'd like to take a moment to reflect, share my thoughts and offer a conclusion from the discussion. From the outside looking in there are a lot of different situations when dealing with people and their children. It seems to not be a one size fits all business model. I come from the world of logistics where I deal EVERY day with a similar situation with everything not fitting one size. As I was asking the questions I could hear the passion for wanting the best for the children, theirs as well as others but the difference in learning styles and needs varies. This makes it hard to manage and in my opinion that is the issue. Management, more directly, middle management. David Rockefeller’s 1965 Speech at the International Industrial Conference in San Francisco had a part I will never forget which I feel is true today. He was speaking to leaders of industry but the words ring out to every aspect of life. "Thus Private enterprise must commit itself to an unremitting effort to Identify, Recruit and Train the very finest management available. It will be the assignment of management to come up with imaginative answers to the problems of investment and development."

What I believe WE, the people, are screaming for is NOT the dismantling of the Department of Education but better middle management of it and better investments and development of the children. The problems that cause the demise of business and organizations are often times caused by poor management. Middle Management is the support between the ground floor and every floor after, all the way to the top. When done right buildings stand strong, however when poorly done, they will fall. Perhaps the Federal Department of Education does not need to be knocked down, but rather given a stronger support system through a better middle management.

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