I have always known I’ve wanted to be a teacher. Even in the fourth grade “Dress for Success” parade, I wore my best teacher outfit and brought math equations for everyone to solve. I am majoring in elementary education next year, and am interning at a Howard County elementary school this year.
This year, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, signed an executive order to shut down the Department of Education.
The Department of Education provides many necessities to the American education system. Their mission is to “promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access,” according to the Department of Education website.
They ensure access to equal education for everyone, promote the quality and usefulness of education through federal research, and improve the management and accountability of federal education programs and activities.
The Department of Education is at risk of being entirely shut down under the current presidency. With this executive order to close the Department of Education, these fundamental privileges and equal opportunities could be stripped from students and professionals.
Linda McMahon is the U.S. Secretary of Education, and she has been tasked by Trump to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States. Leaving educational decisions in the hands of individual states puts disadvantaged students and their futures in danger.
According to the National Education Association (NEA), dismantling the Department of Education will cause underprivileged students and families to pay the price. Students in lower-income communities and with disabilities will suffer. Programs that educate and protect underprivileged students will be weakened and eliminated.
For example, Title 1, which helps aid high-poverty schools, would potentially be removed. This would harm underprivileged students and communities, and no longer give everyone the same opportunities for a free education.
Phelps Luck, a Howard County elementary school, is a Title 1 school. I interned at Phelps Luck in a fourth grade class at the beginning of this year. Under Title 1, Phelps Luck ensured equal opportunities for everyone. There was extra support and materials for struggling students, programs to ensure all students’ success, and resources for teachers to aid their school community.
Additionally, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) could be transferred to another agency. Currently, around 7.5 million students, or 15% of the American student population, receive special education from the IDEA. They provide around 15 billion dollars to support students with disabilities, and the changes to the IDEA could significantly decrease the support given to students with disabilities.
Having extra support for students with disabilities is crucial in schools. I am currently interning at Pointers Run, another Howard County elementary school in a kindergarten class. In my kindergarten class, having extra support and resources for children with disabilities is vital to their success as well as the success of their peers. There are weighted vests, headphones, support staff, and more provided to students with disabilities that keep the classroom functioning. Without this, success will be challenging.
These are just two examples of the privileges being taken from U.S. students. It will get worse from here throughout Trump’s presidency, and these changes may be irreversible by 2028. I do not know what the education system will look like in four years once Donald Trump’s presidency is complete. Just in the past five months, from when Trump was inaugurated in January to now, there have been several debilitating changes made to the Department of Education, changing the system and jeopardizing public schools in America.
I am fearful for my future. I am going into a field which was once secure, but is now unpredictable. I have no idea what my future holds. Although fully closing the Department of Education requires an act of Congress, the Trump administration could make it nearly impossible for employees to carry out their work. His goal is to dismantle this federal agency, and that terrifies me.
Being a teacher is more than simply teaching in a classroom. Teachers ensure equal opportunity and care for all students they encounter. With the changes to the Department of Education, these equal opportunities may be taken away. I do not want to be a teacher in a country where there are not equal opportunities for students and fair access for all. As I enter the education field, I will fight for my right to teach fairly and equally.
