Democracy and the Shifting Federal Role in Education

Education is foundational to democracy. But for decades, Americans have debated how the United States should structure, govern, and fund its schools.  

Critics of federal involvement say the top-down rules stifle innovation and ignore the unique educational needs of each community. Proponents contend that federal oversight is essential to ensure equal educational opportunities for all students and for collecting consistent data nationwide.

Last month, President Trump issued an executive order to “facilitate the closure of the Department of Education (DOE) and return authority over education to the states and local communities,” making the case that the action would “provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them.” It’s an order with far-reaching implications.

To find out what this could mean for schools across the nation, we talked with Beth Schueler, associate professor of education and public policy at UVA’s School of Education and Human Development.

Q: Will changes to the DOE be more acutely felt in K–12 education or higher education?

Schueler: Changes will be felt in both K–12 and higher education in important ways. Some of the K–12 impacts, like on funding, might take longer to unfold, whereas we’re seeing more dramatic action in higher education right away. Anything that impacts research will affect both higher ed and K–12—because universities are where much of the research on K–12 happens. But it’s difficult to predict.

Q: Could giving more control to states and local communities improve U.S. education?

Schueler: Greater control at the local level could allow for more flexibility and tailoring of policies and programs, as well as opportunities for experimentation and innovation. But a successful decentralized approach would require greater investments in state and district capacity to ensure the effective use of funds, research infrastructure to learn from such experimentation, systems of accountability and transparent oversight, and funding to address resource disparities across states and communities.

Q: With these changes planned, can you give us background on what the DOE does currently?

Schueler: States and districts already take the lead on education. The federal government plays a relatively minor but important role. The DOE's primary functions are: (1) enforcing civil rights laws, (2) providing students with financial aid for postsecondary education, (3) funding elementary and secondary education, (4) offering policy guidance for state and local leaders, and (5) conducting and funding research on education.

The DOE cannot be abolished outright without an act of Congress. But the executive branch can dramatically weaken its capacity. Already, the administration has cut the size of the department in half, laying off more than 1,000 employees. These actions may make it more difficult to support students financially, to investigate civil rights complaints, and to encourage the effective use of federal funding.

The full article is available at the Karsh Institute News page.