Congresswoman Madeleine Dean of Glenside responded to President Donald Trump signing off today on an executive order dismantling the Department of Education.
The White House released a statement titled “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Empowers Parents, States, and Communities to Improve Education Outcomes“. An excerpt:
Since its relatively recent inception in 1979, the Department of Education, which does not directly educate students, has spent over $3 trillion without improving student achievement as measured by standardized National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores.
Dean called the order “a direct attack on our children, their families, and their right to a quality education.”
“I come from a family of educators. I taught in higher ed for 10 years. The classroom is one of the most joyous, inspiring places to be. This Admin has little respect for the work of our students, teachers, and staff,” she said in a post. “By choking federal resources from our schools and generating confusion, President Trump is jeopardizing our children’s future — and the future of our nation.”
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon also responded to the order in a statement:
Today’s Executive Order is a history-making action by President Trump to free future generations of American students and forge opportunities for their success. We are sending education back to the states where it so rightly belongs.
Education is fundamentally a state responsibility. Instead of filtering resources through layers of federal red tape, we will empower states to take charge and advocate for and implement what is best for students, families, and educators in their communities.
Closing the Department does not mean cutting off funds from those who depend on them—we will continue to support K-12 students, students with special needs, college student borrowers, and others who rely on essential programs. We’re going to follow the law and eliminate the bureaucracy responsibly by working through Congress to ensure a lawful and orderly transition.
With today’s action, we take a significant step forward to give parents and states control over their children’s education. Teachers will be unshackled from burdensome regulations and paperwork, empowering them to get back to teaching basic subjects. Taxpayers will no longer be burdened with tens of billions of dollars of waste on progressive social experiments and obsolete programs. K-12 and college students will be relieved of the drudgery caused by administrative burdens—and positioned to achieve success in a future career they love.
Congresswoman Dean appeared on CNN in February to discuss the issue. Her full statement from today:
ABC News’ video coverage of the order is below:
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Screengrab: ABC News