by Editorial Team

The definition of insanity

“Why would we keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result?”

This question was posed at the end of a White House press release just hours before Trump signed an Executive Order yesterday to dismantle the federal Department of Education (ED).

To claim that ED has done “virtually nothing” for students and families since its inception is not only misguided; it’s insane.

ED distributes funding for K-12 education, with the two largest funding streams for low-income students and students with disabilities. Has Title I or IDEA done nothing for students?

ED also distributes funding for higher education through the Pell Grant for low-income students and the Federal Student Loan Program. Has access to higher education done nothing for students?

ED’s Office for Civil Rights works to ensure all schools receiving federal funds comply with federal civil rights laws. Has safeguarding against discrimination done nothing for students?

ED collects, analyzes, and reports data and statistics on education access, quality, and achievement for public use and research. Has longstanding data collection and research done nothing for students?

Dismantling the U.S. Department of Education is not a new idea. The first federal education department was established in 1867 as a part of Reconstruction efforts following the Civil War. It became associated with educating formerly enslaved people and lasted one year. 

Which students are the greatest beneficiaries of Title I and IDEA? 

Which students are the greatest beneficiaries of the Pell Grant? 

Which students are the greatest beneficiaries of civil rights protections? 

Which students are the greatest beneficiaries of data and research that reveal gaps in our education system? 

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. Do you know what I think is insane?

During slavery, it was illegal to teach Black people to read and write.

It wasn’t until 1954—just 70 years ago—that school segregation was ruled unconstitutional and Jim Crow laws began to be dismantled in the South.

Today, once again, the powers that be are trying to limit access to education for Black people and other historically marginalized groups.

Why??? Education is empowering.
 
So, who is actually “maintaining the status quo that is failing American students”?

Trump and other proponents of dismantling the Department of Education—the latest attack on America’s public education system.

Currently, U.S. public schools predominantly serve students of color; white students are now the minority. An attack on public education is an attack on Black and Brown students.

But it’s ultimately an attack on all of us. Like drained-pool politics, a nation that undereducates or miseducates any of its children—let alone the majority—hurts everyone and damages our collective future.

This is the insanity: clinging to racism and white supremacy that harms us all. Will it ever stop?

If Trump and Republicans in Congress truly want to “do better” for all students and families, they should listen to what organizations dedicated to preserving and improving our education system have to say about dismantling ED:

In solidarity,
Jenna

Jenna Roberson
Co-founder, LTLT
jenna@learnlivetogether.org

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