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What role should the federal government play in education?”
President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education poses a significant threat to the quality and accessibility of education in Indiana—and our state’s economy.
The Department of Education plays an important role in administering federal grants, overseeing student loans and ensuring civil-rights protections in every school.
That means providing student services like support for students with disabilities. It means support for low-income students, or those learning English as a second language. It means even if you’re born into a family with limited income, you still have a shot at getting an education and a good job and being a contributing member of society.
For years, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and countless business associations have stressed that good education is a top policy priority. That includes increased proficiency in math and language arts, expanding pre-K, increasing educational opportunities for minority students, and addressing problems in smaller schools and districts across the state.
While we would like to think every student has the same access to opportunity, that is simply not the case. Parents with multiple children know even students in the same family, at the same school, learn completely differently.
Indiana relies on Title I funding, receiving around $231 million for K-12 schools for fiscal year 2022. This funding helps children from low-income families catch up to their classmates, plus it helps students with disabilities.
It’s unclear how schools will be expected to make up for that loss in funds.
The likely result?
In the short term, teacher layoffs, larger class sizes, decreased support, and low-income students and students with disabilities being left in the lurch.
In the long term, a much smaller talent pipeline to handle the jobs and demands of the 21st century Indiana economy.
The Trump administration is branding this issue as a simple administrative change—taking power away from the big, bad federal government and giving it back to the states. But states are really getting the short end of the deal: less funding and more responsibility to carry out the mammoth task of making sure every single one of the nearly 1 million K-12 Hoosier students gets a quality education.
Teachers, parents and national organizations agree. The National Education Association, the NAACP and public-school parents have brought a lawsuit to stop this unlawful move, stating that such actions will hurt millions of students in low-income communities who rely on federal support.
If the Trump administration has a plan to address these very valid concerns, it isn’t sharing it. I demanded a meeting with the current head of the Department of Education to pass along my concerns and my constituents’ concerns. I still have not heard back.
It’s important to be clear: The Department of Education cannot be dismantled or abolished without congressional approval. My vote will be a resounding no.
But we need to all come together—business leaders, elected officials from both parties, parents, teachers, and as Americans to stop this dangerous move. Our students and our state deserve better.•
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Carson, a Democrat, represents Indiana’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House.
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