AKRON, Ohio (WJW) – Surrounded by students and governors from across the country, including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday afternoon to begin dismantling the Department of Education.
“Returning education very simply back to states where it belongs,” he said.
The Department of Education was started in 1979 by then-President Jimmy Carter.
Trump said even some members of Carter’s cabinet, the Federation of Teachers and well-known Democrats opposed it at the time.
Now, after spending trillions, he said the department is failing students.
According to the White House, math and reading scores for 13-year-olds are at the lowest level in decades and 40% of fourth-grade students don’t even meet basic reading levels.
U.S. students rank 28 out of 37 in developed countries in math.
“After 45 years, the United States spends more money on education, by far, than any other country, but yet we rank near the bottom of the list in terms of success,” said Trump.
But some educators are reacting strongly to the executive and expressing serious concerns.
“At first you’re dumbfounded. You think, ‘oh, that couldn’t possibly happen,’” said Pat Shipe, president of The Akron Education Association representing teachers.
She especially worries about those most vulnerable.
“Ninety-five percent of students with disabilities go to public schools, yet the president is dismantling — in essence gutting — the Department of Education which provides much needed services and programs for those children and their families,” Shipe said.
Trump said Title I and Pell Grant funding will not be touched and will be “fully preserved,” and that the goal is to have the states “work with parents, teachers and everybody else.”
Shipe questioned exactly how the state might manage those funds intended for education.
“If you send it to the state, there’s no guarantee they’ll pass it along to appropriate places to continue all of the incredible programs we have,” said Shipe. “What’s coming out of Columbus is also harmful. Are we going to continue to see more and more unqualified and unlicensed people in our classrooms that are not educators just placed there and told to teach.
In a statement, Governor DeWine said the following, in part, “By giving states more authority over education, we will have the flexibility to focus our efforts on tailoring an educational experience that is best for our children and that meets Ohio’s needs, rather than trying to chase federal priorities.”
The Ohio Education Associated released a statement Thursday night.
“Across Ohio – in rural, suburban, and urban communities alike – our students depend on the critical programs and services provided through the U.S. Department of Education. More than half of Ohio’s public school students benefit from federal Title I programs that help economically disadvantaged learners reach their full potential; more than a quarter-million Ohio students with disabilities rely on services that are possible because of federal IDEA funding; countless Ohioans rely on federal aid to make college affordable through grants and loans; countless others benefit from the many programs the US Department of Education administers every day,” the statement said, in part. “Make no mistake, every single student in Ohio will pay the price for the move to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.”
