I’ll fight this administration’s efforts
to dismantle public education.
America was made great by providing public education to all. That greatness came in the form of a promise: every child, no matter what their background or challenges, deserves to learn the skills to lead a full and dignified life. That is how we raise the prosperity of all of our citizens, and in turn, the prosperity of our nation. The Department of Education ensures that education decisions are based on facts, that money is spent wisely and fairly, and student rights are protected from partisan politics. But now, the Department’s very existence is under threat from the Trump administration.
We must keep the promise of public education alive for every child across this country. I will take this message to Washington. That is why I am running for Congress.
Tell me more (or less).
Introduction
While the Constitution places responsibility for education with the states, a focused federal role strengthens local authority rather than override it. The Department of Education helps build and protect the foundation of democracy. It is essential for national strength and long-term competitiveness.
Education needs improvement, and the federal role must be seen again as an investment in a skilled workforce and equal opportunity for every child. The Department operates like a national scorekeeper. It ensures the game is tracked fairly, transparently, and consistently across states.
Without the Department, there would be no reliable scoreboard. There would be no objective understanding of what works, and no impartial checks when rights are violated, and no way to assess if funds are misused. It serves as a trusted observer, offering a common base of facts so that educators, families, and communities can improve outcomes together.
What the Department Does
The Department of Education performs four key functions that help ensure accountability, fairness, and continuous improvement across the country.
Providing Objective Evidence for Smarter Decisions
Families, educators, and community leaders need trustworthy information to make good decisions. The Department provides this through tools like the National Center for Education Statistics, the College Scorecard, and IPEDS. These resources offer neutral, standardized data that empowers parents to compare schools, helps educators identify what works, and gives policymakers the tools required to improve outcomes. They also help hold systems accountable, identify gaps, and share successes that can be scaled.
The Department also provides information on long term policy changes that states make, such as voucher and charter programs, using facts rather than political spin. Since not all state leaders can be trusted to honestly assess their own programs long term success, federal data ensures everyone is able to see the real score. While some wish the federal government could block harmful policies outright, its power is limited. Its influence comes through funding, transparency, and evidence. The real fight still happens in statehouses and local school boards, but it is a stronger fight when backed by national facts.
Evaluating Reforms and Protecting Taxpayer Investments
The Department does more than collect data. It helps improve education through pilot programs, grants, and independent evaluation. It tests new ideas, measures what works, and helps local districts adopt proven strategies that deliver real results. It also conducts audits and investigations to stop fraud, waste, and abuse through its Office of Inspector General. This protects taxpayer dollars and ensures money goes where it is needed most.
Distributing Targeted Funding That Levels the Playing Field
When local tax bases fall short, federal aid makes a critical difference. The Department supports local control while requiring results. Key allocations include:
- 60% ($160.7 billion) for Federal Student Aid, including Pell Grants, work-study, and federal loans.
- 25% ($68.1 billion) to help states address local education needs.
- 15% ($39.9 billion) for K–12 grants, including:
- 7% ($18.8 billion) for Title I support in low-income areas.
- 6% ($15.5 billion) for special education under IDEA.
- 2% ($5.5 billion) for school improvement.
These programs help close opportunity gaps and ensure continuity when state budgets fluctuate. They allow young people to pursue education, economic stability, and mobility, even when their communities face hardship.
Enforcing Civil Rights and Legal Compliance
The Department enforces federal laws that protect students from discrimination. It intervenes when public funds are misused or when students are treated unfairly. This work is legal, not political. It focuses on transparency, compliance, and equal access. Despite some opponents calling it ideological, the Department’s core responsibility is enforcing the law fairly.
This protection is especially important for students with physical, emotional, or learning-related disabilities. Just a few decades ago, many of these children were denied an education and pushed to the margins. That began to change with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the work of families and advocates. Special education programs have opened doors and helped students pursue lives of independence and dignity.
That progress takes resources. It requires trained teachers, adaptive tools, and time. The Department helps schools cover these costs and ensures IDEA is enforced. Without this support, many schools simply would not or could not serve these students well.
Still, too many students fall through the cracks. A grandmother told me how her son had to sue the local school district to get her grandson the services the district unjustly withheld. When summer school came, the district placed him in a general class with no support. They checked a box but failed the child. This child may not grow up to lead a Fortune 500 company, but he will grow up. He will live in our neighborhoods, work in our communities, and vote in our elections. And he will do all that without his parents there to fight for him. We owe it to him to make sure he is ready.
When that happens, the Department is often the only authority with the power to intervene. Despite its national role, it operates lean. Fewer than 4,000 employees oversee a $268B budget, with over 90% of that money going directly to states, students, and institutions. Eliminating the Department would force each state to recreate these services at great cost, with less consistency and weaker accountability.
Why the Oversight Matters
The Department of Education serves as our national scorekeeper. It ensures education decisions are based in facts. It ensures money is spent wisely and protects student rights without partisan bias.
Its core functions are not partisan. They are about fairness, accuracy, and responsible use of public funds. Without the Department, powerful interests could push untested ideas without evidence, avoid scrutiny, and sidestep consequences. The cost of that failure would fall hardest on the most vulnerable students. And the damage would harm public trust and national unity well beyond classrooms.
The Call to Action
The Department of Education supports local control, not by commanding schools, but by protecting fairness, promoting efficiency, and providing honest information for families. Efforts to eliminate the Department remove vital oversight and accountability, pushing unproven ideas without evidence. Eliminating it is like ripping out the scoreboard mid-game: no one can track results. No one is held responsible. That isn’t how you win; it’s how you cheat.
This moment transcends policy; it challenges whether we will defend fairness, demand results, and safeguard the opportunity system that prepares every American for their future. It is a system absolutely worth protecting.
Yet, the Department of Education is under direct threat, its funding, authority, and very existence targeted. Silence will undo decades of progress, leaving students with disabilities, those in poor communities, and all who rely on public schools behind. We cannot let this happen.
Now is the time to act. Speak up. Defend public education. Protect the Department of Education, our nation’s scorekeeper, ensuring fairness and accountability. Let us stand. Stand for the belief that every child deserves a fair chance and a strong future. The promise of public education is on the line; we must rise to meet this moment and keep that promise alive for every child, in every classroom, across this country.
Footnotes:
[1] Simone Del Rosario, Business Correspondent, March 20 2025
[2] U.S. Department of Education, Budget and Spending Information