The U.S. Department of Education is making major changes with the intent to close their doors and move accountability and responsibility to the states. This is the right move constitutionally as well as being an honorable effort, but hurdles remain.
Clearly the U.S. Department of Education provides limited value to educating children. It’s primarily a data warehouse that has become a bureaucratic money laundering system to funnel tax dollars to states used by local school districts. There are billions of dollars appropriated annually via federal programs and grants. Some are legally mandatory, such as titles under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Education Amendment of 1972. Additional funds are grant-based for research and various programs.
Children with Disabilities
Consider the legislation Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which President Ford signed in 1975 as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The intent is to ensure children with disabilities have access to a free, appropriate public education. Funding is formula-based, which is to provide up to 40% of average per-pupil spending nationwide. To date, this percentage has not been met. The formula affords states with higher populations receiving less per pupil, while states with lower populations receive more per pupil. As of 2022, there were an estimated 49.6 million students enrolled in public education, and 2022-2023 data reported over 8 million, approximately 16 percent of eligible children, received IDEA funding.
Congress approved a 20% funding increase in 2023. Yet experts claim unless the formula is revised, funding disparity will continue among the states. Children identified with a disability, regardless of how major or minor, are an avenue to infuse additional federal funding. This requires school boards to pay close attention to funds allocated for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans. Funding appropriated under IDEA must be legally spent for educating disabled children. It cannot be transferred or reallocated for other uses.
Increases in Diagnosis
The last several decades witnessed an increase in children diagnosed with a disability, which ranges from ADHD to severe mental and physical conditions. However, the public education system is not equipped, nor can the taxpayers afford to accommodate every child, particularly those with severe conditions. Yet the system is tasked via state constitutions with providing an education for all children.
Children can be fidgety and rambunctious when they are young. This is not a bad thing, nor should it be labeled a disability. Too many so-called experts tell parents their child exhibits disabled tendencies, recommend a drug such as Ritalin, and the children become zombies. Drugging children does hinder learning; they do become lethargic, and over time their physical development and chemical balance are altered.
Studies reveal children placed on drugs at an early age have the potential to do more harm than good. Parents must be warned about the side effects of these drugs and weigh whether the harm is worth the risk. Unfortunately, parents are typically not informed or blindly rely on the advice of one professional. It’s best to seek a second opinion because drugging children is not a solution.
Navigating the Bureaucracy
Supports needed to educate children with disabilities are often neglected. Parents are forced to navigate the system and become an advocate for their child. The IDEA program is turning 50 this year, and its move to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides the perfect opportunity to make necessary changes. The current administration has shown the courage to make changes, and Congress must do the same.
Education is foundational to America’s future. Thus, individual and economic prosperity relies on having an educated populace. Opportunity is what fuels our nation and allows all to seek a better life. Without an educated populace, our constitutional republic would not be the powerhouse it was destined to be.
Though the U.S. Department of Education is being dismantled, it’s doubtful Congress will amend IDEA. This guarantees federal funding, and the status quo will continue. The best hope parents have is to find alternative solutions.
