Pennsylvanians Shouldn’t Worry About Education Dept.

Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania.

The U.S. Department of Education might be going away—and it’s the right move—one that returns control to the states. Closing the department provides a massive opportunity for Gov. Josh Shapiro and his fellow lawmakers to fix our education system.

Education is—and will always be—a local issue. The U.S. Constitution grants the federal government zero authority on educational matters. As such, the U.S. Department of Education has always played an overrated role in education. The department neither runs schools nor teaches a single child. It neither sets curricula nor hires teachers. Instead, state and local governments are the true arbiters of what transpires in our kids’ classrooms.

On average, federal funding provides about 6% of Pennsylvania’s K–12 funding nationwide. This funding comes with strings attached in the form of regulations and mandates—most of which public schools would prefer to do without. Created in 1979, the U.S. Department of Education hasn’t significantly improved student performance during its decades-long existence. Growth in spending, on the other hand, is off the charts.

Read more at RealClearPennsylvania.