Since its creation in 1979, the Department of Education has sent well more than $1 trillion to schools with the express purpose of closing the gaps between the highest and lowest performers. Today, those gaps are as wide as they have ever been, and by many measures, even wider.
Last week, the latest Nation’s Report Card came out, giving us a clear assessment of where student achievement stands. The report, published by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), tells us that in reading and math, most students were even further behind than they were in 2022. Which was worse than where they were in 2019. Which was worse than 2013.
Betsy DeVos | “Betsy DeVos: Shut Down The Department of Education” | February 6th, 2025
RESOURCES
- Resources On Spiritual, Physical, And Sexual Abuse In The Church
- Subscribe To The Heidelblog!
- Download the HeidelApp on Apple App Store or Google Play
- The Heidelblog Resource Page
- Heidelmedia Resources
- The Ecumenical Creeds
- The Reformed Confessions
- The Heidelberg Catechism
- The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, & Pastoral Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2025)
- Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008)
- Why I Am A Christian
- What Must A Christian Believe?
- Heidelblog Contributors
- Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to
Heidelberg Reformation Association
1637 E. Valley Parkway #391
Escondido CA 92027
USA
The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Heidelblog
The Heidelblog has been in publication since 2007. It is devoted to recovering the Reformed confession and to helping others discover Reformed theology, piety, and practice.
More by Heidelblog ›
Are Reformed(NAPARC) churches, institutions, professors, elders, etc., ready to educate the people of the United States? And at no cost?
Gil,
1. Killing the Dept of Education will not end public education. Federal funds will be disbursed to the states to be administered.
2. It will, however, delete an onerous and destructive layer of bureaucracy, which has severely damaged education in the USA.
3. The visible church is not called by the Chief Shepherd teach geography. Parents, however, are called to see to the education of their children. School choice is a growing movement in this country. We may hope that parents will be able to spend that portion of their property taxes/rent that would ordinarily go to the school district on the school of their choice.
My main concern with cutting this is that it will cut most of the funding for EL (English language learner students) and IDEA and other related special education students. Although we would like to believe states will help cover this, based on the education views and ideas promoted in many states it seems clear that funding especially for special education students would drop dramatically. Most families cannot afford to take care of their special needs students at home themselves, especially if both parents need to work to stay afloat. Additionally, many private schools simply do not offer special education services, including some Christian schools. (They simply can’t afford it)
I worry that cutting funding for this would
1. Leave many special education students stranded
2. And increase tuition extravagantly at private schools that will try to build programs to fill the gaps
Ben,
The Trump Admin has said repeatedly that the funding will be distributed through other departments and to the states.
The States are much more responsive than the department of education. You can go to your state senator and tell him why there needs to be funding for x and y. Look, the schools are all addicted to federal $ now. That’s not going away.
True, but there seems to also be a consistent pattern of the trump admin saying one thing then walking it back even the same day. We’ve seen it with Ukraine, medicaid, etc…
If the same funding will be distributed through other departments, then yes the department of education would be completely irrelevant.
Thanks for your replies!
Ben,
As a philosophical matter, why should tax payers in Nebraska fund students in Alabama? Aren’t federal taxes to fund national/federal projects (e.g., interstate highways etc)? How to justify federalizing education? Isn’t the 10th Amendment still in force?
Consider the source.
Mike,
Indeed!
Betsy de Vos is a former secretary of education. She saw the beast from the inside, its corruption, inefficiency, and the outcome of having a federal dept of education. Typically, people who’ve headed agencies advocate for them. They become personally invested in them. So, when a former cabinet secretary and agency head says that it ought to be closed, that’s significant.
The Department of Education is an advocate for special needs students. There are school districts that would not provide an adequate education for such students.
The Department of Education is an advocate for students who are sexually abused by other students or teachers.
The Department of Education is an advocate for students who are the victims of racial discrimination by other students or teachers or administration.
I use the word advocate deliberately.
Gary,
My Dad was advocating for special needs students decades before the Dept of Education. I attended schools with whole wings devoted to Down Syndrome students.
We don’t need to D of E to educate special needs students.