An Option: A Plan to Dismantle the Department of Education
It's Now or Never
The time has come to make a bold move. The U.S. Department of Education (DoE), once created with the best of intentions, has grown into a bureaucratic monster that controls too much of our children’s education. Instead of helping, it's holding our schools back. The centralized control it wields hasn’t delivered the improvements we were promised. It’s time to seriously consider dismantling the DoE and returning control to where it belongs—back to the states and local communities.
This isn’t just about cutting costs or reducing government. It’s about saving our children from a one-size-fits-all system that too often feels more like a Department of Indoctrination than an institution of learning. We have a narrow window, between 2025 and 2028, to get this done before the DoE becomes too big to fail.
2025: The Start of a New Era
First things first: The new president needs to create a commission on day one. This group will be tasked with the hard work of dismantling the DoE. We need education experts, state leaders, and local voices all working together to make this happen. By March 2025, this team needs to have a detailed plan in place. This plan should focus on how we’ll phase out federal control and shift those responsibilities to the states.
The first phase should begin in June 2025. Start with the easiest parts to transfer—things like testing and teacher certification. States can handle these just fine without Washington telling them what to do.
2026: Building State Power
By January 2026, the states need to have the money in hand. The plan here is simple: take the money that used to go through the DoE and send it straight to the states or, better yet, stop collecting it at the federal level. Let states decide how best to spend it on their students.
State education departments will need to grow to take on these new roles. By March 2026, they should be hiring more staff, improving their data systems, and planning how to give more power to local districts and schools. And by July 2026, we need to see real action. States should be giving more control to local school districts, letting them make the decisions that best fit their communities.
2027: Locking In Local Control
Come January 2027, states need strong systems to keep schools accountable. States can develop their own assessments, monitor performance, and step in when schools aren’t doing their job. This is what local control should look like—responsive and responsible to the needs of students.
By April 2027, we should have a new federal agency in place, much smaller than the DoE. This agency won’t be telling states how to educate their kids; instead, it will focus on collecting data, doing research, and sharing the best ideas from around the country. Also, the DoE’s civil rights duties should move to the Department of Justice, where they belong.
Engaging with parents, teachers, and communities is crucial. By July 2027, states need to be holding public meetings, forming committees, and making sure everyone is on board with these changes. The more people are involved, the smoother the transition will be.
2028: The Final Steps
By January 2028, the DoE should be gone, and states should be fully in charge. This doesn’t mean the work is over, though. We need to review and adjust state systems as needed. Problems will come up, but if states keep listening to their communities and using data smartly, they can fix those problems quickly.
By June 2028, states should be ready for a future without federal oversight. It’s up to them to keep improving, to share what’s working, and to learn from each other.
Putting Federal Money Back Where It Belongs
One of the biggest issues with federal control is the money. Instead of letting Washington decide how to spend our education dollars, that money should go straight to the states. The best way to do this is to either return those tax dollars directly to local districts on a per-student basis or, even better, stop collecting them at the federal level. Congress needs to pass legislation to make this happen.
Who’s Going to Replace the DoE?
As we dismantle the DoE, we need to think carefully about who’s going to pick up the slack. States will need to step up, expanding their education departments and empowering local districts. At the federal level, the new, smaller agency we’ve talked about will focus on data, research, and civil rights—nothing more.
Next Steps for States
To make this work, states need to act quickly and decisively. Here’s what needs to happen:
Create State Task Forces: Each state should have a dedicated team to manage the transition.
Reform State Education Departments: States need to expand their departments, hire more staff, and build expertise in key areas.
Revise Funding Models: States need to come up with new ways to fund education that are fair and flexible.
Encourage Local Innovation: Give local schools the freedom to innovate and compete, driving improvements across the board.
Strengthen Accountability: States need to hold schools accountable for results, with strong oversight systems.
Engage Stakeholders: States need to involve parents, teachers, and communities in the transition.
Protect Civil Rights and Special Education: States must ensure that all students have equal access to quality education.
Monitor and Adjust: The transition won’t be perfect. States need to be ready to adjust as they go, always aiming for better outcomes for students.
Act Now or Lose Control Forever
If we don’t act now, the Department of Education will continue to grow and entrench itself even more in our schools. It’s not just about the money or the bureaucracy—it’s about our kids. The longer we wait, the more the DoE becomes a tool for indoctrination rather than education.
This plan isn’t just about dismantling a department. It’s about restoring control to where it belongs—with states, local communities, and parents. We’ve seen what centralized control has done, and it’s time to turn the tide.
The 2025-2028 presidential term is our chance to make this happen. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape American education for the better. We need to elect leaders who are committed to this vision—leaders like Mark Robinson and Michelle Morrow in North Carolina, who understand the importance of local control and the dangers of federal overreach.
On the national stage, we need leaders who will champion this transformation. Leaders who will respect the role of states and empower them to take charge of their own educational destinies. This is about more than just policy—it’s about the future of our country. It’s time to take back our schools, take back our kids’ education, and take back our future.
Addendum: The 2025-2028 Timeline for Dismantling the DoE
2025: Laying the Foundation
January: Establish a Presidential Commission on Education Reform to oversee the dismantling of the DoE, including education experts, state governors, and local education leaders.
March: Develop a detailed transition plan in collaboration with state task forces, outlining the steps required to phase out federal oversight and transfer responsibilities to states.
June: Begin the phase-out of federal oversight functions, focusing on easily transferable areas like curriculum standards, testing, and teacher certification.
2026: Transitioning Responsibilities and Resources
January: Reallocate federal education funds to states on a per-student basis or begin eliminating federal tax collections related to education.
March: Expand state education departments to handle new responsibilities, including curriculum development and special education management.
July: Empower local districts by delegating decision-making powers, encouraging state policies that support local control and innovation.
2027: Solidifying State Control and Accountability
January: Establish robust state accountability systems to monitor school performance, develop assessments, and create intervention strategies for underperforming schools.
April: Finalize the role of the new federal agency, focusing on data collection, research, and best practices dissemination, while transferring civil rights enforcement to the Department of Justice.
July: Engage stakeholders, including educators, parents, and communities, through public forums and communication campaigns to ensure broad support for the changes.
2028: Finalizing the Transition and Preparing for the Future
January: Complete the dismantling of the DoE, with all responsibilities fully transferred to state and local entities.
March: Review and adjust state education systems based on data and feedback to address any emerging challenges and ensure continuous improvement.
June: Prepare for a post-DoE era, encouraging collaboration among states to share best practices and foster a culture of innovation and excellence in education.
How incredibly disgusting to have an elected Board of Education member advocating for the end of public education. How do you justify this?