Deconstructing the Department of Education threatens the rights of students and educators

By Jayla Anderson ’26

(The opinions expressed in this article represent those of the author and the individuals quoted. Not Derby High School staff or students as a whole)

During his upcoming term, President-elect Donald Trump plans to eliminate the Department of Education in Washington, DC, leaving all education decisions up to the states. 

To be clear, this proposal is not yet in action, and no one knows for sure whether or not this proposal will definitely be 

The idea of eliminating the Department of Education and passing the responsibilities to the states may seem like a sensible proposal for those in support of local control over the education system. However, this proposal neglects the role of the federal Department of Education, which is to ensure equal access to education, establish policies, enforce non-discrimination, and promote student achievement for students nationwide. By eliminating the department, we risk decreasing funding, resources, and education standards throughout the United States. 

When interviewed, Daniel McNamara, a special education teacher in the social studies department at Derby High School shared a shocking story: “I already know of a man in Oklahoma who’s the leader of the education department of Oklahoma, and he is making it mandatory that students view a video of him praying for future president Trump. So the prayer aspect in public schools is illegal, but he is doing it because he thinks that he now has the freedom to do that.” This story involves Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Education, Ryan Walters, who not only made students watch a video of him praying but also purchased the God Bless the U.S.A Bibles, better known as Trump Bibles for classrooms using state money. This is unconstitutional and violates the Establishment Clause by promoting religion in classrooms. With the states gaining control of public education students are in jeopardy of their rights not being protected. The Department of Education plays a vital role in ensuring that the rights of students and teachers are protected. The department enforces the First Amendment rights for students and staff in school settings; it protects them from discrimination in education based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and age.

Shutting down the Department of Education could have a significant impact on Title 1 schools in the nation. Title 1 schools receive federal funding for students from low-income families to ensure high-quality education for all students. Without federal funding, programs that are set in place to help students will not be able to support the students. Nicole Borges, an English teacher at Derby High School, gives her personal insight on Derby High School as a Title 1 school: “As a Title 1 school, a lot of kids are supported here. They get free lunches here and they get a lot of support that they wouldn’t get if they were at a non-Title 1 school.” With the department being erased, states will be unable to fund programs that support special education programs, transportation programs, etc. 

Spencer Butterworth, a teacher from Derby High School’s social studies department expresses his concerns about job cuts in the case that the department does get shut down. He says, “There is a lot of talk about getting rid of Title 1 schools and with Derby High School being a Title 1 school, a lot of teachers here could potentially lose their jobs.” Not only did Butterworth express concerns about other educators’ positions, but he also expressed concern about his own, “because of the type of district we are and where we are located, there would be teachers like myself that would be at risk of salary reductions or eliminations, so at that point we are talking about educators needing to look for alternative career opportunities.” The shutdown disrupting the support that Title 1 schools provide will affect both students and educators as a whole.

With the shutdown in place, educators will be negatively affected which will directly affect students. With the department eliminated, states will not have the funding to pay educators for their work. “Any negative changes made to the Department of Education would give negative results for students. Whether that is taking a number of staff away, taking programs away, like free lunch programs, transportation programs, or afterschool programs, anything that is taken away from students at this point would cause a negative result in their social-emotional learning and their academic profiles,” Butterworth states. If programs are being taken away, students will not receive the same support that they’ve always received. Borges says “Students who have IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) or 504 plans might not get the support that they need.” These programs being removed will greatly affect students with special needs.

Many teachers will have to go about their careers differently in case the department is shut down. McNamara states, “I’ll probably join the army.” Borges expressed that she hopes to be a resource to her students no matter what happens to the Department of Education: “Hopefully I will remain an educator even without the Department of Education. I don’t want to give up on my students, even if it feels like the government is giving up on us.” Educators should not have to come to work not knowing if their job position is secure.

While the proposal of giving education control to the states may sound like a good idea initially, when broken down, it is evident that students and educators around the United States will get the short end of the stick. There is no guarantee that the rights of students and educators will be protected under the control of the states.