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It’s not often I have trouble finding people to discuss the politics of public education. Of course, nothing is usual about this administration’s first few weeks. So I was happy to have this conversation with The Cato Institute’s Neal McCluskey, Director for The Center for Educational Freedom, who may not leave you happy with what he has to say, but maybe less worried. Have a listen:
We were able to get past most of the classic theoretical sticking points about the pros and cons of the ED and focus on potential short-term realities. Neal suggests key programs like Title I and IDEA funding will continue, though possibly administered by different agencies. He also emphasizes that significant program eliminations would require congressional action with a 60-vote Senate majority, which is unlikely given current numbers. And while some administrative disruptions may occur, as they do during any transition, most immediate funding streams will continue, if potentially slower due to staff slashes.
We did dig deeper into broader philosophical questions about federal involvement in education, arguing the whys and how state-level responsibility and accountability might be more effective than federal oversight. Neal also details how ED functions like data collection could potentially move to the Census Bureau, which already collects some education data, while civil rights enforcement responsibilities might shift to the Department of Justice.
Neal has written on the president’s pick for ED in the past, and has contributed to ongoing discussions about dismantling the department altogether. You can read those here:
- There’s Nothing “Absurd” or “Dangerous” about Ending the US Department of Education
- Abolish the Department of Education
- Feds In The Classroom: How Big Government Corrupts, Cripples, and Compromises American Education
- Rightsizing Fed Ed: Principles for Reform and Practical Steps to Move in the Right Direction
More on Neal: He is the director of Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom and author of the book The Fractured Schoolhouse: Reexamining Education for a Free, Equal, and Harmonious Society and is coeditor of several volumes, including School Choice Myths: Setting the Record Straight on Education Freedom and Unprofitable Schooling: Examining Causes of, and Fixes for, America’s Broken Ivory Tower. McCluskey also maintains Cato’s Public Schooling Battle Map, an interactive database of values and identity‐based conflicts in public schools.
