SPOKANE, Wash. — The federal government’s role in our children’s education might change very soon.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order soon requesting a plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
This has already left many educators and parents wondering what it means for the future of our schools.
The Department of Education funds about 7% of K-12 public education in Washington. Those funds are mainly for special education and Title I schools.
If Trump wants to dismantle the department, experts say it will require more than just signing an executive order.
“Some of the functions of the federal Department of Education are no person can unilaterally say ‘we’re not going to do this anymore’ because there’s a lot on the books and so it has to go through Congress,” said Lisa Laurier, an education professor at Whitworth University.
Federal funding for public schools mainly comes through Congress, and Trump can’t just cut the funding without a plan. His administration wants Congress to help achieve his plan by changing laws on Title I and learning assistance program funding (LAP).
“Even if this were to happen and Congress were to make the decision to poll LAP funding or Title funding, LAP funding would still be available if a state or district wanted to make that available,” Laurier said.
That funding would ultimately be smaller. For students who need help, like those in special education, the number of teachers available for each student could decrease. This would increase the load a single educator takes on.
As for curriculum changes, Laurier says most of those decisions are made by the state.
“A state selects a set of standards,” she said.
In relation to the curriculum, Laurier said the federal government’s role is to collect educational data and compare states to a national average as a way to gauge how students are learning.
Currently, the situation is unclear until we see the executive order.
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