Essentially, this push to dismantle the Ed is a call out of its failures. According to ed.gov: “The Department of Education was established in 1980 with the promise of improving education outcomes for America’s students. $3 trillion in taxpayer dollars later, national test scores in reading, writing, and math have plummeted: in 2024, only 35% of fourth and eighth graders in our nation were proficient in reading, and only 39% of fourth graders and 28% of eighth graders were proficient in mathematics.
With reports showing dismal student success, loss of federal support and the removal of federal control equals the absence of federal funding. This could bring about new issues and heighten existing problems. Equity and access to a proper education could be compromised by those who can’t afford it or don’t have the support.
Concern also surrounds the passing of accountability to state leaders who already show a lack of capability to better their below average educational systems. Also, many state governments don’t have additional money to successfully support an education system that’s responsible for thousands – even millions – of students. With three in 10 students falling behind in science, reading and math, lack of resources could be a detrimental blow to student success, leading to a downward spike in inconsistent curriculums, a broader gap in education disparities, higher education opportunities, workforce development, and the expansion of an already dwindling economies.
During her most recent stop in N. Dakota, McMahon visited Sweet Briar School, a K-8 school, and touted what she saw in their small school size of 25-30 students as “a powerful model.” She said that the school’s leadership “… is proving that when we rethink education to meet the unique needs of local communities, students thrive and industries grow. From the cutting-edge technical classrooms in Dickinson and Bismarck to the resilient spirit of rural schools like Sweet Briar, this state serves as a powerful model for giving control back to local families and innovators. As we return education to the states, I look forward to taking some of the lessons learned from these remarkable communities and championing them across the country.”
Small classroom sizes are a benefit that many schools across the country don’t have the ability to achieve. As the administration moves to eliminate the ED, skeptics turn to what the end of the ED could mean to classrooms in states that are struggling within their current education systems.
The shift in responsibility has had mixed responses on the long-term impact on students, parents, states, and communities.
The tour is an extension of the current administration executing promises Trump made during his 2024 presidential campaign to dismantle the ED to decrease federal bureaucracy. Most recently, North Dakota, Kansas, Virginia, and Colorado with the end expected in August 2026.
