With students missing out on half of their in-person school experience, teacher strikes, budget shortages, and 332 shootings, public education has taken quite a beating over the past four years. 

If that weren't enough, President-elect Donald Trump has made it clear that he wishes to close the federal Department of Education, shifting its power back to the states. He claims this will eliminate "indoctrinating America’s youth with all sorts of things that you don’t want to have our youth hearing.” 

The main responsibility of the Department of Education is to issue money for education to the states. This goes for K-12 education as well as higher education. Programs such as Title 1 are there to allot money to students who come from low income families and ensure they get the same academic opportunities as those from a higher socioeconomic status. These programs average around $28 billion dollars a year to K-12 students, as well as $15 billion dollars a year to low income college students.  It is unclear what would happen to Title I if the DOE were to be eliminated. The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 says, Title I funding for high-poverty schools should be turned into vouchers and then phased out over time, while money from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act should be given directly to parents.

Many American students are familiar with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA. Over 40 million students rely on this program. If the DOE were to be eliminated, this program would likely be moved to another government agency. 

One thing this incoming administration seems hell-bent on seeing is parents, rather than trained professionals, having more control over what their children are learning in school. This would change the education system as we know it. The GOP has called for a Parental Bill of Rights.  In Trump's 10 point plan to "fix" education, he says “We will respect the right of the parents to control the education of their children.” 

Florida has already passed the Trump supported  House Bill 1557  in 2022, which prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity, and Trump continues to make false claims and exaggerations regarding negative queer propaganda in schools. At a recent campaign rally, he made false claims about students getting gender reassignment surgery at their school:  “Can you imagine you’re a parent and your son leaves the house and you say, ‘Jimmy, I love you so much, go have a good day in school,’ and your son comes back with a brutal operation.'” 

For the record, there has NOT been one single case in America of children receiving gender affirming surgery at school. 

In Trump's speech about his ten point plan for education in the U.S., he says, “We will support bringing back prayer to our schools.” The United States has no national religion and prides itself on a separation of church and state. He goes on to say, “We will teach students to love their country, not to hate their country like they’re taught right now.” Since January of 2021, 44 states have introduced bills or taken alternative action that would restrict critical race theory or limit discussion about racism or sexism.  

America has a concerningly low amount of knowledge regarding the Civil War. Only 8% of high school seniors can recognize the cause of the war was slavery. Based on a survey of 100 students from Teacher Tolerance, only ⅓ of the students knew what amendment ended slavery. Students don’t need to be taught to blindly love their country, but rather learn about its faults, and what it took to become the great, free nation that we are.

Trump's presidency will have a profound impact on public education in the United States, as Republicans now have control over all three branches of government. And, with Linda McMahon, who has been accused in a sex abuse case, now chosen as the nominee for Secretary of Education, the stakes are even higher. Thankfully, abolishing a federal department would require an act of Congress.