The former education secretary says the department ‘doesn’t really add value anywhere’
Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos echoed President-elect Trump’s support for “disbanding” and “de-powering” the Department of Education, saying the window of opportunity is “wide open” as he begins to roll out his administration’s agenda ahead of taking office.
While DeVos acknowledged this goal is a “priority,” the longtime advocate for school choice emphasized that there are “more immediate” things that need to be done first, which include cleaning up the federal tax credit, “giving rocket fuel” to school choice education freedom and fixing Title IX.
“There are many steps that can be taken to re-empower states and local communities, and importantly, families,” DeVos told “The Story with Martha MacCallum” on Tuesday.
“Take the power away from the Department of Education, block-grant those funds, continue to invest in education, but get it down to a much more local level where better decisions are made on behalf of students,” DeVos proposed. “The bureaucrats at the Department of Education aren’t doing the job. They haven’t done the job for more than four decades to close the achievement gaps — they’ve only widened.”
DeVos served as the 11th U.S. Department of Education secretary during the Trump administration from 2017 until 2021.
DeVos added that the Department of Education “doesn’t really add any value anywhere,” pointing out that while the federal government contributes 9% of funding for K–12 education nationwide, it imposes over 90% of the regulations.
“So all of those funds go out with strings attached, requiring states and communities to do things the way this federal agency in Washington dictates it be done,” she said. “And I guarantee you, almost all of the folks there have an agenda, and it’s not what’s best for students — it’s what’s best for adults.”