Dismantling the Department of Education: First, a little history for context.

While I typically focus of advocating for students with disabilities, this is the time to advocate for all students. There is a tremendous worry among parents of students with disabilities in our nation because of the pending Presidential Executive Order to dismantle the Department of Education, but it's not just those exceptional children that need to worry. The Department of Education as we know it was signed into law in October of 1979 which is important to understand since several of the major federal programs we currently utilize today were also established under Congress in the 1960's and 1970"s. Hence the reason to need operational management and oversight to ensure states were complying with federal laws to protect and serve students in their intended way. Here are just a few to consider:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - they prohibit discrimination based on race, sex and disability.

• the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 created the Title I program which serves disadvantaged children in both urban and rural school districts. This offsets the impact that poverty and socio-economic constraints within districts and local tax bases.

• Higher Education Act of 1965 which funds financial aid and grants for needy college students including those pursuing certification and accreditation in both vocational training and adult education

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975 - protects for access and educational benefits for students with disabilities.

Are there others? Of course. That was the whole reason the Department of Education was created to begin with - to bring all federal initiatives to aid students and programs under one umbrella to address systemic inequities and ensure equal access to quality for all students. It was Congress that created the Department of Education to indicate this need for equal education opportunities. Jimmy Carter signed this into law stating the importance that education had on our nation both economically and technologically. It was meant to propel ALL students forward.

Ironically, the concept of a Department of Education originated in 1867 to guide states in establishing effective school systems, then revisited in 1890 to support land-grant colleges and universities, followed by Smith-Hughes Act in 1917 for vocational education, then 1946 George-Barden Act for industry, agriculture and home economics with a focus on increasing the type of workforce that our nation needed after World War II. Then, in 1958, after the Soviets beat the US into space with the Sputnik satellite, Congress again passed the National Defense Education Act with a focus on science, math, foreign language, vocational-technical training and technology to form a working body of citizens that could compete with the Russians for space exploration, industry, technology and scientific endeavors.

It's important to realize that educational policies adopted by Congress have always been made to support a well-educated, citizenship to help American stay at the top of global food-chain. What it has not done, is actually give the financial supports they agreed to provide in the first place. While they continue to hold local and state agencies accountable for achievement standards- they do not hold themselves accountable for underfunding their own legislative initiatives. Schools have had to learn how to do more with less for decades, often taking advantage of the teachers and administrators that pull money out of their own lean pockets to provide for students with school supplies, food, clothes, hygiene products and more. When you stand back and try to slam the school system, you are slamming the very people that go above and beyond every day to keep our kids safe, educate them, and care for them.

If the federal government will not provide funds they legislatively mandate under the Department of Education, what makes you think they will funnel money to the states? The proposed Executive Order to close the DOE states that "there is tremendous waste in the DOE that is trying to indoctrinate children with a liberal agenda". Really? In reality, curriculum and learning standards have never been dictated by the Department of Education. It has always been at the state and local levels that adopt standards and curriculum selections. There is no secret federal plan to teach any specific agenda in education other than to produce citizens that can help propel American interests forward by catering to the industry and technology needs of our nation.

The Department of Education is a Congressional, Cabinet level agency and it remains a Congressional level agency until Congress-not an Executive Order- decides otherwise. Currently federal programs only account for 8-10% of educational spending in our nation. States and local districts account for the remaining 90-92% of funds generated through taxes and revenues. The question we should all be asking is where will states find that 8-10% funding if federal funds are evaporated? What happens to the students they serve? What programs will be cut if they are eliminated?

That's easy, go back to the beginning of this post and take a look at all the programs that caused the creation of the Department of Education to begin with. It impacts students with disabilities, students from low socio-economic backgrounds in both urban and rural school districts, vocational and adult education programs, financial aid and grants for students and programs dedicated to ensuring all students have equal access. It does not matter what political affiliation you belong to, this threat of potential closure affects us all and it hits where we hurt the most - our children.

Is there room for improvement at the Department of Education? Absolutely. Is a sweeping measure to shutter it's doors the answer? Absolutely not. We are better than this. Our kids deserve better than this. Our future as a nation warrants our political leaders to delve into difficult reconstructive measures, to strengthen our educational system and return to the goal of creating the best possible workforce to lead our nation into the future.