By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Readers are encouraged to submit news tips to The Daily Beast. The submission process is streamlined and easy to use. Information provided will be reviewed by the editorial team. All tips are confidential. Your contribution could help expose important stories.
Read the original article here
Another Slapdown for Trump as Education Dept. Is Saved
The attempted dismantling of the Department of Education (DoE) by the Trump administration has faced yet another setback. While not a complete victory for supporters of the department, the fact that the proposed gutting has been significantly scaled back is being seen by many as a significant blow to the former president’s agenda. The initial plan, seemingly fueled by a desire for retribution against those who scrutinized Trump University, aimed at a near-complete dismantling of the DoE, returning most educational authority to individual states.
This drastic measure, however, sparked widespread concern about the potential negative impacts on students with disabilities, those relying on Pell Grants and student loan programs, and the overall maintenance of educational standards. The administration’s assertion that the DoE was “clearly failing in its initial intention to educate our students” completely misses the point of the department’s function. The DoE doesn’t set curriculum; that’s the responsibility of individual states. Its crucial role is to ensure equitable access to education and maintain minimum standards across the country. States, particularly those with fewer resources, often rely heavily on federal funding provided through the DoE to bridge educational gaps.
The proposed changes would have significantly hampered the DoE’s ability to fulfill its essential mandate, particularly concerning the enforcement of civil rights laws and support programs for students with disabilities. The plan to drastically reduce the department’s size and scope raised immediate and valid concerns about the ability to meet these critical needs. The administration’s claim that it could simply hand over these responsibilities to the states overlooked the existing inequities in resources and standards across the nation’s education systems. The potential chaos and lack of consistency that such a transfer could generate were simply brushed aside in the initial proposals.
The current scaled-back plan, while still representing a partial dismantling of the DoE, keeps crucial functions intact. Student loans and Pell Grants will remain under the purview of the federal government, along with civil rights enforcement and programs for students with disabilities. Although this may not satisfy everyone concerned about the long-term viability and influence of the DoE, it is nonetheless seen as a notable victory in preventing the department’s total evisceration.
This partial defeat highlights the limitations of executive action in the face of organized resistance and legal challenges. The outcry from concerned citizens, educators, and disability advocates appears to have played a significant role in tempering the administration’s ambitious, and arguably reckless, plan. The ongoing legal battles and continued political pressure likely further contributed to the administration’s modified approach.
The fact that this “scaled back” plan is still being seen as a victory speaks volumes about the initial magnitude of the proposed cuts. The idea that a former professional wrestler was to be put in charge of the closure of such a large government department is still absurd in many people’s eyes. Many are calling the plan a stalling tactic, asserting that the ultimate aim is to systematically weaken the DoE through reduced funding and personnel before a future attempt at complete abolition. The suspicion that this is a long-term strategy to undermine the department’s function remains a significant concern among those closely following the situation.
Ultimately, while the DoE remains, for now, spared from complete collapse, this situation underscores the ongoing struggle for control over the nation’s education system and the potential ramifications of politically driven decisions on the lives of millions of students. This ongoing political battle will inevitably continue to affect the educational landscape for years to come. The very notion that such a significant shift could even be considered demonstrates the deep-seated divisions and competing visions for the future of education in the country. The fight to preserve and strengthen the DoE, and protect the students it serves, is far from over.