Holy Family University is known for its excellent education program. Ongoing actions dismantling the Department of Education will significantly impact education careers and  institutions, especially in terms of budget cuts and financial aid. Changes must be made to fix  America’s ailing education system, starting from the bottom-up.  

This institutional restructuring should come as no surprise. The federal government has  long been out of touch with what its citizens need, and education was among the laundry list of  issues. The Department of Education, created in 1979 to manage federal education policy, has  faced criticism for decades, including opposition from Reagan’s administration and the current  push to limit its role. According to Professor Martin West, “[The Department] was created in an  attempt … to win the 1980 presidential election.” The stated purpose of the Department  of Education’s is to enforce and implement laws passed by Congress. A significant function is distributing federal funds to K-12 education across the nation. It oversees federal student aid  programs, such as managing student loans and grants; enforces civil rights laws in educational  settings to ensure non-discrimination; and collects and analyzes data on America’s schools to  inform policy decisions.   

The Department of Ed has failed students. Standards have dipped, students graduate no  matter proficiency, and the result — the nation has lagged behind others in subjects such as  mathematics. The Department of Ed’s guidance and initiatives have not done enough. Even the  value of a college degree has dipped incredibly in the past decades. Stephen Rose explains that  “nearly half of those with a [college degree] are in jobs that do not require it”. The debt accrued  in the process can quickly make the greater earning potential a moot point. It is the focus on money in education that leads to the root of the issue. Betsy Devon’s tenure during the first Trump Administration highlighted the inefficiency of leaving civil rights under the Department’s control, as she rolled back protections for LGBTQ+ students and student loan borrowers, among other controversial actions.

The Government Accountability Office released a report identifying weaknesses in  the Department of Ed’s oversight of grant programs, a vital important monetary function. The  GAO found that the Department lacks a unified system to track and manage potential fund misuse, insufficient staff and financial expertise for program monitoring, and significant  information-sharing gaps. These deficiencies hinder waste, fraud, and abuse prevention in grant  programs. And what to say of the management of nearly $100 billion in stimulus funding? It isn’t  a good outlook for the use of taxpayer funds.  

There is no one solution to the education crisis in this nation. However, many smaller  solutions, working from the ground-up, is the best way forward. Vocational schools, a return to  the hands-on apprenticeships of the past, offer an alternative to traditional college pathways,  allowing students to specialize in trades. This shift could reduce the financial burden of higher  education and provide more affordable, practical career options.  

States with high GDP, including large blue states like California, pay more into education  funding in red states than they receive in return. Property taxes are a flawed source of local  school funding, creating an unequal system based almost solely on property value. Opponents  argue that dismantling the Department of Education will exacerbate wealth inequalities, but this  remains true regardless. Education should shift focus from federal agencies to empowering states  and local governments to hold themselves accountable for education quality. The double  narrative is that those afraid of change also believe education is ultimately up to the states. Local  involvement, attention to local politics, voting in local elections, and prioritizing local issues are  essential steps towards achieving this.  

Douglas Leeson, a former middle school English teacher who taught in north Mississippi,  observed that despite federal funding that community was underrepresented and underfunded. He  predicted a greater wealth disparity between underfunded areas like North Mississippi and those  with more resources for education. Leeson suggested that states could collaborate to fight for change, citing the non-profit ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) and the  state-collective NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) as potential avenues for cooperation.  To prospective educators at Holy Family, Leeson’s message: “Remember why you want to be an  educator” and drown out “the noise all around you with the current culture war.”  

Pennsylvania’s school funding is inequitable, varying widely from $9,000 to $27,000 per  student. The system heavily relies on local taxes, with the state not contributing enough, hoping  federal funding will cover the gaps. This leads to an inefficient system where taxes are misused  and misappropriated, causing disparities between wealthy and poor districts. State funding  doesn’t adequately account for actual education costs. A new formula should consider local tax  effort and regional cost differences.  

The fascination and horror of American education’s drastic changes are understandable.  The Department of Ed shouldn’t be gutted without a plan. Realistic changes, like the initiatives  above, will have a tangible impact. The change must start bottom-up with equitable funding,  realistic educator expectations, career opportunities after education, and job market  diversification.  

Similarly, Meghan R., a teacher in Philadelphia, emphasizes resilience in the face of  systemic changes When asked how she was going to contend with these changes that could harm  her student population, she offered a message of resilience: “The way I’m coping is just focusing  on my classroom and how to best serve my students.”  

Zeb is a Senior Secondary Education major graduating in Fall 2025. He graduated from Bucks  County Community College with a Secondary Education History Associate’s. He enjoys listening to and making music, hanging out with his four cats, spending time in nature, and weightlifting.

Feature Image courtesy of Msnbc.com