Defending Education Says the Schumer Shutdown Proves the Department of Education Is Obsolete

We are now three weeks into the Schumer Shutdown, and it doesn't appear Democrats will vote to reopen the government any time soon.

As Senate Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) said, the Democrats are using Americans' suffering as "leverage" as they push for trillions in wasteful spending on illegal immigrant healthcare and left-wing pet causes. But what we're learning here is that some – most — of the so-called "essential" functions of government really aren't necessary.

This includes the Department of Education (DOE).

The Trump administration began cleaning house at the DOE back in March, announcing a reduction-in-force (RIF) of roughly 1,300 employees (a judge later blocked that RIF, and the Supreme Court later overturned that ruling). President Trump has made it clear he hopes to completely shutter the DOE and reduce the size and scope of the federal government.

Now, with the Schumer Shutdown in full swing, the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Russ Vought has made it clear he plans to downsize government to make it work better for the American people, and the DOE is on the chopping block.

Defending Education is using the Schumer Shutdown as evidence that the DOE is no longer needed, and that American schools will do just fine (and perhaps better) without it. Here's a recap of how American education has declined since the inception of the DOE:

...spending on education has gone up while test scores, literacy rates, and mathematical competency have declined. In Wisconsin, only 31% of public school students are reading on grade level. In Illinois, there are 30 schools where zero students are proficient in reading. The same thing is happening in Baltimore, where at least 13 high schools have zero students tested proficient in literacy (but don't worry, Maryland officials will make sure those students have access to condoms in elementary schools).
Instead of teaching our students to read, write, and add, the Department of Education was spending billions on DEI grants for things like a 'restorative justice' program in Philadelphia public schools (where only 30% of students are reading on grade level and 14% are proficient in math), and 'Trauma-Informed, Antiracist Social Emotional Learning' in St. Louis schools (where 14% of students are reading at grade level and only 11% are proficient in math). In Santa Monica schools, fifth-grade students were asked to explore their 'white privilege' and the district proved to be an outlier: the majority of students were proficient in reading and math (we're sure the Leftists will get around to changing that shortly).

"Schools are functioning well, they’re being operated locally as they normally are. Schools are run locally. They’re open, kids are going to school, and teachers are being paid, "Aguilar said. "Federal funding for school continues to be provided, so nothing has changed. So there’s really no impact."

Aguilar noted that states received $9B in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) formula funds on October 1, and the next disbursement isn't due until July 1, 2026. "Formula funds and all discretionary funds for this year were awarded by Sept. 30. Schools have received the federal funding and are operating well."

He also placed the blame for the prolonged Schumer Shutdown on Democrats. "They passed 13 clean CRs, why oppose this one now? It’s so obvious that they’re playing politics with this," and added, "The shutdown does have an impact on the economy, other federal services. But not on education."

Throughout the conversation, Aguilar noted that education can and should be controlled by the states and local governments, and lamented the politicization of education by previous administrations. "Students are falling behind and schools have been used sadly, with the encouragement of the federal government, to advance DEI and extreme ideological concepts," he said.

Aguilar said PDE agrees with the Trump administration about the DOE. "We’re supportive of the dismantling of the Department of Education. We recognize that there are some limited education…the federal government has some limited education functions. Those are already being transferred to other agencies." He pointed to the DOE's civil rights work going to the Justice Department and the management of federal student loans being taken over by the Treasury as examples of how the DOE's work could be spread across other government agencies.

He also emphasized that Congress should pass "pieces of legislation to dismantle the agency" to end the DOE and warned, "Future administrations could return those functions to the DOE and, as they’ve done in the past, and expand the department. Which, if that’s a Democrat, they’re most likely to do."

Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.

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