President Trump on Dismantling the Department of Education and Empowering States

US Education Spending and Performance

• 🇺🇸 Despite spending more money per pupil than any other country, the U.S. ranks near the bottom in educational success.
• 📉 Statistics highlight significant failures, with 70% of eighth graders not proficient in reading or math, and 40% of fourth graders lacking basic reading skills.
• 📊 Even in Baltimore, 40% of high schools have no students capable of basic mathematics.

Department of Education Reforms

• ✂️ The Department of Education's discretionary budget has increased by 600% while performance has declined.
• 🏢 Through generous buyout options and a reduction in force, the administration has cut the number of bureaucrats in half.
• 🤝 Key functions such as Pell Grants, Title One funding, and resources for children with disabilities will be preserved and redistributed to other agencies.

Returning Education to the States

• 🏛️ The administration plans to shut down the Department of Education and return control of education policy to the states.
• 🌍 This move is seen as common sense and is supported by many governors who desire local control over education.
• 📈 States like Texas, Florida, and Iowa are expected to excel, potentially rivaling top-performing countries like Norway, Denmark, and Finland.

Supporting Teachers and Students

• ❤️ Teachers are recognized as among the most important people in the country, and the states are expected to take better care of them.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The goal is to empower states to work with parents to provide a better education for children, potentially at half the cost.
• ✨ The president expresses optimism that this shift will lead to an amazing and special transformation in education.