With the Dept of Ed being disbanded, communities must step up

We wouldn't necessarily need a federal DOE if we all valued and invested in the education of all children

In the ongoing wake of our national education system’s butchering, it’s okay to ponder what better could have looked like.

First, I’ll say that haphazardly slashing federal funding for education research and gutting the DOE’s staff by 1,300 professionals is irresponsible at best and malicious at worst. It is a direct attack on research, programs, marginalized students, and the people who serve them. We should thank all federal employees who dedicated their careers to children, and hope they find a soft place to land to keep doing invaluable work.

These experts could have instead opted for more lucrative careers. But they chose to prioritize the education of our children. And all they have to show for their selflessness is being scapegoated in a political circus.

As a progressive, I’m actually not blindly pro having a federal DOE. In my ideal world, we’d build the societal infrastructure to support all kids ourselves, especially those from low-income and marginalized communities.

Beyond its unique and inherent importance, serving all children is an indicator of a society’s capacity for long-term cohesion and stability. These are not just feel good words, they are evidence-backed. Look at who bounces back quickest from recessions. Communities with the widest spread of quality education among all groups.

But we don’t invest in the collective education of Americans on the whole. Instead we treat education through the same winners vs. losers mindset that has brought us to this point in time - a point where we are severely lack social cohesion.

And because of this, the federal DOE is the main system we have to hold us accountable to serving all students…somewhat.

The DOE has done immensely good things from supporting students with special needs to providing resources to Title 1 schools. My three year olds attend a Title 1 school this year because they offer a rich, blending learning PreK program where my twins learn alongside some other toddlers who have special needs. It’s been incredibly special. Thinking that this program and others like it around the country will be hurt is heartbreaking.

But, while we’re talking about the federal DOE, we also have to discuss its vehement promotion of top-down accountability (e.g. by relentlessly pushing standardized testing). We have to talk about failed programs including Race To The Top (and trample whoever you need to) and No Child Left Behind (but actually, yes, “low-income” kids of color were and have been left). These programs were not built on principles of developmental science nor equity, but on market-driven interests.

The federal DOE has to-date largely upheld the near-40 billion dollar standardized testing industry. (It shouldn’t be lost on you that the main skill associated with taking a test is the ability to sit quietly for long periods of time and work, which is likely what our government most demands from students.)

A better system would abolish standardized tests, which research shows have no merit on learning outcomes and institute a tax-policy built around the premise of a social safety net.

Currently, our school funding systems are driven by residential taxes and state tax revenues that pay for local schools.

But what if a share of our taxes also went towards supporting other schools in our districts, cities, and states. What if each person contributed to the schools with the fewest resources, in order for them to pay for the kinds of crucial programs that Title 1 currently provides?

Maybe then, given how much we care about our money and where it goes, we would want to see the return on investment of us contributing to under-resourced schools. Maybe we would care about the education of other people’s children.

The Black Panthers understood the importance of paying for kids’ school meals and education. The state understood that power too and went on to sabotage the movement at every turn. We’re living through treacherous times— it would not be inconceivable to get on a list just for mentioning their name. Uh oh.

Today, more than ever, we need a massive societal shift. We have to realize we are each other’s keeper. Our differences are being used to divide us, but the social fabric is tearing beneath our feet. We have get collective about stitching it back together before the bottom falls out from under us.

And until then, the federal DOE is needed. Gravely. So let’s fight to keep it alive while we can.