As a child from a family of educators, I recognize how important the Department of Education is and how detrimental it can be if it is diminished.

The first question that comes to my mind when I think about the possibility of the Department of Education being diminished is how can this happen so easily, and is this even legal? After researching that question in particular, the simple explanation is that it cannot just be diminished by the president. According to BBC News, in an article titled, “What does the Department of Education do – and can Trump dismantle it?” written by Ana Faguy, It would take congressional approval, 60 yeses, to approve of its abolishment. This is unlikely to happen as it would require all 53 Republicans and 7 Democrats to reach 60 yeses.

The Department of Education’s purpose is to establish policies and administer and coordinate federal assistance education. However, with a termination, there is a possibility that funding for K-12 schools could also be terminated. More specifically, the department also administers programs like IDEA, which helps students K-12 with disabilities. This allows school districts to receive the funding they need to pay special education teachers and therapists and buy the materials or equipment they need. 

As mentioned, I come from a family of educators, two of whom are special education teachers. I have heard their stories and understand how important it is for these students to receive the resources they need, whether that be a teacher who is trained in their behavior, therapists or materials for them to cope with. I think that this demolition of the department would lead to the students, teachers and guardians without the support they need. I also fear how much harder it would be for these students to learn and assimilate into a traditional classroom.

I believe that terminating the department leaves a lot of insecurity. It leaves college students, who rely on federal funding, relying on private lenders. This could lead to higher interest rates, lack of protection and difficult terms; some are without loan forgiveness in particular fields. 

As a college student who will have to take out loans to finish my degree, the thought of not having security in that choice worries me. If I am going to take out loans for thousands of dollars, I don’t want to have to take out even more in loans because federal aid isn’t an option anymore. 

Similarly, the department oversees organizations that provide accreditation for colleges. Without this, there could be a change in what standard colleges would be required to meet, leaving a huge difference between each. This would also leave no baseline for what students are required to learn nationally. I fear that this could cause a huge divide in thinking and rationale as students develop and grow.

I think that the possible impact this could have on students of any age may be more detrimental than the people making this decision realize it is.