Frances Donahue
Each morning, we recite the Pledge by heart: “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” It’s been drilled into my brain since the ripe age of five. But what does it mean to be one united, indivisible nation? One where there’s an overarching constitution, laws, and federal programs for all areas of our country? In today’s world, many argue that the U.S. needs to give more autonomy to states to mandate and administer their own laws and programs. We’ve seen movements like this before, such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Abortion rights, once federally mandated, can now be eliminated by certain states; women are not guaranteed the right to an abortion everywhere in the U.S., and for many, their location, something they often cannot choose, will determine whether or not they can make a choice regarding their bodies. This is why I believe some things need to be federally regulated, and that’s why the recent attacks on the Department of Education are so concerning.
But what is the Department of Education, or DOE? And is it really being eliminated? Well… the short answer is yes. But, as always, the real answer is more complicated. On March 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education. In this order, the president claimed the department is costing taxpayers billions of dollars while failing to improve the standard of education in our country, which has been at “historic lows.” He then stated that the functions of the department, including student financial aid, programs within schools such as varied grants, and support for those with disabilities, will now be preserved in the hands of the states. All except, of course, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) related initiatives, which the Trump administration aims to eliminate entirely.
So, at the surface level, it seems that not much will change regarding education services given to American students. It will now just be in the hands of individual states to administer them. However, certain protections for students may not be guaranteed nationwide if states decide to drastically change their education programs. Although the dissolution of this department will need majority approval from Congress to go into effect, there is still the threat of policies being put into jeopardy if the order is passed. We need federal regulation for our education system because essential policies, such as disability support affecting civil rights, need to be enforced and preserved for the whole country, regardless of local differences across states.
Realistically, most students currently at Haldane High School will graduate and move on to some form of post-secondary education before Trump’s presidency ends in 2028. But will changes to the DOE affect our futures in college? The DOE administers the FAFSA program, which determines student financial aid, plus other grants for higher education institutions. Will this, too, be handed over to state control? Or instead, will FAFSA be thrown into different federal institutions, all while intense layoffs make this crucial program less stable?
The administration has also made drastic cuts to funding for universities that aren’t appealing to Trump’s agenda, such as Columbia and Harvard. These universities, although wealthy private schools with many donors, could be put in jeopardy. They are often targeted by the Trump administration for being antisemitic (largely due to protests for Palestinian independence), but more importantly, the vast majority of colleges targeted have liberal policies and are situated in politically ‘blue’ states. Universities that have conceded to certain demands from the government must re-evaluate diversity programs and the actions of international students. This is truly an ideological battle for the government of education, where Trump claims that he is “returning education to the states” and allowing smaller communities to control their school systems. However, the exact opposite is being carried out, as Trump’s administration removes the ability for schools to control what they teach by forcibly purging billions of dollars from Democratic university budgets and abolishing programs such as DEI. The elimination of the bureaucracy is ironically only emphasized when it fits the president’s agenda.
Haldane students have a lot to consider when they think about their future post-graduation. Whether in K–12 or college-level education, we need to fight to preserve national systems integral to our schools. We shouldn’t have to worry about what basic liberties we’ll have when moving to a different part of our country. And that means the proposed dissolution of the Department of Education is something we should all be deeply worried about.
On May 22, a federal judge blocked Donald Trump’s executive order for the dismantling of the Department of Education. The ruling was swiftly appealed by the administration.