The Possible Consequences of Eliminating the US Department of Education

The President-Elect plans to fulfill a major campaign promise: to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). Some Americans are celebrating this, but I’m not sure they understand what the DOE actually does — and how its absence might impact their children, local communities, and the most vulnerable students among us.

Here in the South, many people are suspicious of anything federal. When the federal government collaborated with states to create the Common Core Standards, designed to equip all children with the skills they need for the 21st-century workforce, people were quick to resist. In South Carolina, for example, former Governor Nikki Haley claimed, “We don’t ever want to educate South Carolina children like they educate California children.”

Despite not reading the standards or talking to teachers who used them, critics argued the standards were part of a federal scheme to control education. They listened to politicians and the media who like to stir folks up about made-up problems.

The irony here? Common Core Standards weren’t really controversial. There was nothing in them that was problematic. They were standards, not curriculum. Most people seem to not know the difference. Individual states, school boards, and teachers design the curriculum and select instructional resources. Again, much ado about nothing.

In my state, to appease the uninformed populus, we replaced the standards with a new set of standards that were almost identical to Common Core, at the expense of time, money, and teacher effort. We’re still ranking low in education, and nothing changed, proving the controversy was, in reality, much ado about nothing. Book banning, DEI, and CRT are the new made-up controversies. No one seems to care about addressing our real problems.

Now, this same states’ rights narrative fuels the movement to eliminate the DOE entirely. As a Black American, I feel uncomfortable when states’ rights arguments come up. My own state once used “states’ rights” to justify practices like slavery and segregation, and if the federal government hadn’t stepped in, who knows how long that would have continued.

What Does the Department of Education Do?

The Department of Education plays a vital role in our education system. It oversees federal financial aid, enforces civil rights laws, gathers data on American schools, and promotes high standards for teaching and learning. The DOE focuses on equitable access to education and provides funding and guidance, especially to underserved schools and special education programs.

What Could Happen If the DOE Is Eliminated?

1. Loss of Federal Funding for Schools

Eliminating the DOE would likely strip billions in federal funding from K-12 and higher education, jeopardizing programs like Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which support low-income and special-needs students. Schools in disadvantaged areas could struggle to provide even basic resources without these funds.

2. Increased Educational Disparities

Wealthier states might maintain high standards independently, but poorer areas would face even more severe cuts. Without federal support, the gap in educational quality between affluent and economically challenged regions would widen, denying students equal opportunities based on where they live.

3. Restricted Access to Higher Education

The DOE manages federal student aid programs, including Pell Grants and subsidized loans. Eliminating the department could drastically reduce college access for low-income students who rely on these funds to afford higher education.

4. Weakened Civil Rights Protections

The DOE enforces federal civil rights laws, ensuring all students can access non-discriminatory learning environments. Without it, discrimination based on race, disability, or socioeconomic status could go unchecked, increasing the risks for marginalized and vulnerable students.

5. Reduced National Standards and Innovation

Federal oversight drives initiatives for educational innovation, like STEM programs and improvements to teaching quality. Without the DOE, national educational progress could slow, and our competitive edge in a global economy could suffer as states and local school districts would be left without federal guidance.

The elimination of the Department of Education wouldn’t just hurt vulnerable students; it could undermine our country’s future workforce and economy. To some, this may seem like freedom, but to others, it would mean diminished protections and educational opportunities.

The Real Issues in Education

The current challenges in education aren’t because of federal involvement. The issues stem from underfunding, an anti-education mindset, and cultural and economic factors that put students at a disadvantage. In my state, poverty rates are high, with 62.8% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch and 13.9% living below the poverty line. Poverty impacts students’ performance and resources, with many students facing limited parental support, absenteeism, substance abuse and trauma in the home, and other challenges associated with economic hardship.

A significant obstacle in my state is a mindset that discourages intellectualism and creative thinking. Instead of valuing independent critical thought, there’s a pervasive distrust of efforts to improve education. Many would prefer to maintain the status quo — even if it means denying students the opportunities they need to break out of cycles of poverty and violence.

Some schools here are nicknamed “corridors of shame” because of their poor quality, and the state constitution only requires a “minimally adequate” education. This isn’t a funding problem alone; it’s a cultural problem. We need the federal government’s oversight and support to help ensure all students receive a quality education.

The DOE doesn’t hinder state sovereignty — it ensures that all children, regardless of background, have a shot at a bright future. If we’re serious about breaking cycles of poverty and despair, dismantling the Department of Education is the wrong direction. Instead of giving into fear, we must tackle the real issues: reducing poverty, increasing funding, improving teacher quality, and creating a cultural shift away from prejudices and discrimination and toward valuing education for all.

Sources:

National Center for Education Statistics — Free and Reduced Lunch Eligibility

National Center for Education Statistics — Poverty Statistics

Smithsonian Magazine — Common Core Debate

Wikipedia — Common Core Implementation by State