Editor’s Note:
At The Chestertown Spy, we believe in the power of the written word to bear witness, to provoke thought, and to strengthen the bridge between generations. In this spirit, we are proud to introduce a new series of contributions from student journalists at Washington College—voices that carry the urgency and clarity of youth in uncertain times. Their experiences, reflections, and reportage are vital to understanding how national policies ripple through small communities, classrooms, and lives. Our first article is by WC student Evelyn Lucado.
***
On March 1, the United States Federal Department of Education announced that they will reduce their workforce by nearly half following months of assurances from the Trump administration regarding efforts to downsize or potentially eliminate the Dept. of Ed., according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Although President Donald Trump lacks the authority to dismantle the Dept. of Ed. without congressional consent, the ongoing efforts to minimize the Dept. of Ed. and remove “woke ideologies” from the school system showcase not a concern for federal spending, but yet another attack from the Trump administration’s ongoing culture war.
President Trump claims that the American education system is instilling America’s children with “leftist propaganda.” However, a “patriotic education,” as President Trump promises in his Agenda 47, plan is little more than a promise for indoctrination in a different form.
Despite President Trump’s claims of indoctrination, the Dept. of Ed. does not determine what curriculum is taught to students. Instead, according to prior Elm coverage, the Dept. of Ed. is responsible for distributing federal funds, enforcing Title IX policies, managing student loan programs, and enforcing protections of disabled students, leaving curriculum decisions to the states.
“The abolition of the [Dept. of Ed.] will be felt most immediately by schools that serve students living in poverty who currently receive additional funding through programs like Title 1, and by students with disabilities and English language learners,” Chair of the WC Education department and Associate Professor Dr. Sara Clarke-De Reza said. “Across the country, any equalizing force that the federal [Dept. of Ed.] has in leveling the playing field for education state to state will be gone.”
President Trump’s focus on minimizing the Dept. of Ed. and threats to revoke federal funding over DEI distract from the existing problems educators face today.
“There was a nationwide teacher shortage even before the current administration took office. This shortage is due in part to the high demands placed on teachers and the relatively low amount of pay and support they receive for the work,” Dr. Clarke-De Reza said.
President Trump’s promises to minimize the Dept. of Ed., abolish teacher tenure, cut back on the number of school administrators, and remove “radical ideologies” that do not conform with his definition of a “patriotic education,” as promised in Agenda 47, would do little more than heighten the scrutiny and challenges faced by our educators today.
While the Dept. of Ed. claims that their staff cuts will not affect programs under their scope, such claims are doubtful when faced with the sheer volume of services and federal funds left with no concrete direction, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Those who argue that the Dept. of Ed. is an inefficient use of federal funding ignore the crucial role it plays in the lives of students across the country.
“I don’t think that people who are calling to abolish the department and reduce costs truly understand what a wide range of essential functions the [Dept. of Ed.] serves, and how many of them are aimed at improving and protecting the experiences of the most underserved and socially vulnerable students in our nation,” Dr. Clarke-De Reza said.
