Gov. Ron DeSantis discusses education initiatives, some controversial. Jan. 23, 2023. (Via DeSantis Facebook)
Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar called President Donald Trump’s move toward eliminating the U.S. Department of Education “political games.” To Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, it is “unconstitutional.”
Thursday, Trump signed an executive order directing the department’s secretary, Linda McMahon, to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” of the department. Gov. Ron DeSantis joined Trump at the White House for the signing of the order.
Trump signs order directing Education secretary to shut down her own department
“Our Constitution has a duty to provide a world-class, free public education to every child in our state, regardless of race or place,” Spar said in a news release. “If education is that important to us and the politicians in our state, why would we dilute the source with which we can ensure a high-quality public education?”
The order, denounced by FEA and the Florida Democratic Party, is unlikely to lead to the department shutting down. Only Congress has the authority to do that — which is unlikely because 60 votes would be needed to pass the Senate.
Along with DeSantis at the White House were governors of other states with expanded school choice programs: Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, and Texas.
After DeSantis joined Trump at the White House, he appeared on Fox News, where he called on Congress to shut down the department altogether.
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“I think what President Trump can do, is I think he can from the inside neuter the organization. But it will not be wiped off the statute books by an executive order, that has got to come from the Congress,” DeSantis on The Ingraham Angle, adding praise to Trump for making a move that GOP politicians have long campaigned on.
DeSantis advocated for leaving education policy up to the states, repeatedly referring to the federal department as a “bureaucracy.”
“It doesn’t surprise me that Ron made the trip to D.C. to spend the day as an Oval Office lapdog,” Fried said in a news release. “Floridians deserve better than a series of victory laps and photo ops as he ends his lame duck political career. Ron needs to stop grandstanding and get back to Florida.”
DeSantis appeared Friday at the Advancing American Conservatism summit hosted by the National Review Institute. There, he reiterated that “whatever the president can do, he’s going to do,” yet acknowledged that Congress would have to act.
Some of Florida’s GOP congressional delegation applauded the move, with U.S. Sen. Rick Scott saying the executive order is a “promise kept” by Trump.
“As the federal Department of Education has grown, student performance has consistently declined,” Scott posted to X.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a candidate for governor, criticized the department, saying on X it “FAILED. They prioritized bureaucracy over the success of our kids.”
U.S. Rep. Greg Steube called it a “great first step,” calling on Congress to act, and Rep. Daniel Webster said on X that the executive order will “cut waste, expand school choice, and put the education of America’s children first.”
What’s the impact?
The department manages federal funding for students with disabilities, researches education trends, including the Nation’s Report Card, and manages student loans.
“This executive order is unconstitutional and orders his unqualified super-donor secretary to eliminate the department, but it won’t give states more power,” Fried said. “Instead, it takes us back to a segregation-era education policy and rips away safety nets for millions of vulnerable students.”
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, indicated her organization would take legal action against the order, States Newsroom reported.
According to a report compiled by the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee Democrats, Florida receives $2.2 billion in Pell Grants for more than 450,000 students and nearly $860 billion in annual funding flows through the department to Florida students with disabilities, plus $134 million annually for career and technical education development.
The Trump administration said the executive order would not affect student loans, Pell grants, Title I program funding for low-income families, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, CBS reported.
“We need a federal agency to ensure that students who are supported with Individualized Education Programs, students experiencing homelessness, students living in rural areas, adults needing access to higher education opportunities, and so many more can continue to succeed,” Spar said in a news release. ” As someone with dyslexia and who had an IEP that helped me succeed in school and in life, I worry greatly about so many of our students, including my own daughters.”
Phoenix reporter Jackie Llanos contributed to this report.
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