By ashley nash baltazar
President Trump outlined the DOE closure in the Agenda47 documents, as well as Project 2025. He plans to drain the Department of Education (DOE) of all funding, leaving the responsibility of education to each individual state.
While the final say is up to Congress, this proposal would threaten the quality of education and safety of K-12 students of color and underserved demographics.
Former President Andrew Johnson signed the legislation that created the DOE in1867. It's an area of the government collecting information about our nation's schools.
Political and social changes in the 1950s led to the expansion of federal funding for education. It sparked the development of programs meant to improve education for underserved students.
In 1979, former President Jimmy Carter signed into law the DOE Organization Act, providing funding to low-achieving or high-poverty K-12 schools.
The DOE has continued to put these goals into practice, implementing laws such as the No Child Left Behind Act, Race to the Top and Title One School Improvement Grants.
Along with overseeing each state's public school system, it is responsible for educating millions of diverse children. Also included is the distribution of funds and data collection of America's schools.
In addition to serving K-12 students, the DOE also provides direct student financial aid and manages student loans.
It may be hard to believe that education is not a fundamental right under the Constitution. Still, it is protected by the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
The amendment states that when a public school system is established, no child living in the state can be denied access to schooling equal to that of their peers.