Failures sometimes need to be removed from the equation

The federal Department of Education, heralded by its supporters as a vital institution for ensuring equal access to quality education across the country. The freak outs are happening as Trump Taps McMahon to ‘put a fork in it.

Let’s pause a second, and ask the obvious question: What has it actually accomplished lately?

The results of the 2024 Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, known as M-STEP, show that 39.6% of third-graders statewide passed the state’s English language arts (ELA) test, compared with 40.9% last year, 41.6% in 2022 and 42.8% in 2021.

Is it really any better than an ever-growing bureaucracy that’s burning taxpayer dollars faster than Michigan Democrats spend transportation funds on bike lanes no one uses?

The Costly Legacy of a Federal Education Giant

Every few years, we’re treated to a glossy report highlighting initiatives and programs that should transform education for the better. Billions in taxpayer money are allocated for initiatives like “equity grants,” “STEM readiness,” or my personal favorite, “21st Century Skills.” Yet, despite the fanfare, the United States consistently ranks below other developed nations in math, science, and literacy.

Let’s face it: if spending more money were the solution, we’d have the most brilliant students on the planet. Instead, we’ve got ballooning student debt, teacher shortages, and public schools doubling as ideological battlegrounds instead of places of learning. When education spending has increased by over 100% since the ’70s with no significant improvement in outcomes, maybe it’s time to rethink the federal government’s role in education altogether.

Closing the Department: A Radical or Rational Idea?

Critics of abolishing the Department of Education clutch their pearls and scream that it would destroy public education. Funny, I didn’t realize dismantling a bloated, inefficient system that leaves teachers underpaid and students under-educated was the same as blowing up the schoolhouse. States and local districts are better positioned to understand the needs of their students than a disconnected federal agency in D.C.

Just look at the so-called “guidance” handed down during the pandemic. It wasn’t guidance; it was chaos. Mandates one week, contradictory mandates the next. Teachers unions dictating reopening policies, all while kids in states like Michigan were trapped in Whitmer-mandated Zoom hell for months—sometimes over a year. And what did that achieve? Lower test scores, higher dropout rates, and a mental health crisis among students. Bravo, Department of Education. Truly stellar leadership.

Whitmer’s “Leadership” (or Lack Thereof)

Speaking of leadership failures, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer—a rising star in the Democratic Party (presidential material we’re told)—demonstrated precisely how federal and state education mismanagement trickles down. Recall that she held the entire state hostage with draconian lockdowns? Schools were shuttered while Whitmer gallivanted maskless at bars and gave private schools exemptions. The resulting educational gap in Michigan was devastating, particularly for low-income and minority students. The kicker? Whitmer still paints herself as a champion of education while funneling money into pet projects that make zero impact on actual learning outcomes.

It’s almost poetic how federal meddling and state-level malfeasance collide in a state like Michigan. It truly is the perfect example of why we need less, not more, top-down control.

The Bottom Line

Reality calling.  The Department of Education hasn’t improved outcomes. It hasn’t narrowed achievement gaps. It hasn’t made schools safer or students smarter. Has it done anything more than bleed the American taxpayer dry while acting as a political weapon to impose ideologies on schools?

Nah.

It’s past time to have an honest conversation: does the Department of Education do more harm than good? If one were to judge by its track record, it’s not just failing—it’s actively standing in the way of meaningful reform.

Maybe, just maybe, shutting it down isn’t as crazy as the usual suspects want you to think. And if Michigan Democrats and Whitmer’s handling of Michigan’s schools gives us any insight, wouldn’t the left might do us a favor by getting out of the way?

So, what’s next? More waste, more excuses, and fewer results? Or finally, a push for accountability and localized solutions? The answer seems obvious—unless you’re one of the bureaucrats profiting from the status quo.

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