Efforts to eliminate Education Dept. misguided
It has long been an open secret that there have been and continue to be federal leaders wishing to eliminate the department of education. For those that may not have understood or fully believed, they only need to remember former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. The prestige and responsibility of such a position should have required at least an iota of knowledge regarding the task ahead. That did not happen. During her confirmation hearing ( job interview), the candidate openly admitted to having no experience or connection to public education.
Cronyism is a dangerous thing. Perhaps even worse are the individuals who support such nonsense. If such practices continue, the very real possibility of losing public education is not in one’s imagination.
The Department of Education, established in 1980, is not as long-standing as other federal offices such as the CIA or NASA. There are multiple scholarly goals that easily fit into two categories. The first seeks to strengthen the federal commitment to equal educational opportunity for every individual. The second enables student achievement to prepare them for global competitiveness. It is crucial to understand that the agency supports our state and local educational initiatives. This includes public and private nonprofit research organizations and community-based agencies. Parents and students are also encouraged to improve educational quality.
Parental participation is encouraged; one simply follows the protocol of their district. Basic examples of guardian involvement are parent-teacher associations and parent-teacher meetings. Even if one works and is unable to attend the meetings, a phone/video call is still possible. Those in positions of authority who deny these modes of action exist are not honest.
It is important to be objective. Most parents know their offspring fairly well. If negative actions are evident at home, be honest with the instructional staff and work toward solutions. To do otherwise supports fraudulence and represents an unwillingness to earnestly remedy the concerns. Instead of seeking an understanding of a school-related issue within the district, some seek to have their way no matter what. Too often these days, this entails going straight to the media.
It is time to seriously consider the drastic results of ill-meaning and power-hungry legislators. The more financial ties or personal connections to others already in power typically yields poor results for the average citizen. This also applies to sometimes uninformed citizens having an ax to grind or seeking their 15 minutes of fame.
Please understand that this is not hyperbole. In February 2021, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced HR899, a bill to terminate the Department of Education. It did not pass during that legislative year and was considered “dead.” However, it has been reintroduced this year. While there are currently only 28 sponsors, it is important to stay informed. Note that it takes 218 of the 435 representatives to pass a bill to the Senate, but why wait until the last minute to take action?
Speaking of staying informed, Virginia has U.S. Rep. Ben Cline in support of eliminating the Department of Education. He is the representative of the 6th Congressional District (Roanoke and most of the Shenandoah Valley). Cline is a product of public K-12 education, having graduated from Rockbridge County High School in Lexington. It is worth knowing why he does not support public education to the point of getting rid of it.
Additional modes of supporting our schools include volunteering, voting, being sure to stay in contact with local legislators and school boards. At the very least know the administrators where your children attend as well as their teachers.
Our elected leaders need to understand that codification or elimination of a federal department that directly affects a majority of citizens within a district is not the last word regarding something as important as educating future generations.