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A bold step forward: $900M slashed from Federal Education Research Office signals a return to local control
By ljdevon // 2025-02-12
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In a move that has sparked both celebration and controversy, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has cut nearly $900 million from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), a federal office long criticized for its bloated bureaucracy and overreach into local education systems. The decision, announced Monday, terminates 169 contracts, including projects focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion training, as well as math acceleration programs. While critics decry the cuts as a blow to educational accountability, supporters argue that this is a long-overdue step to dismantle a broken system and return power—and funding—to educators and innovators who understand the unique needs of their communities. Key Points • The Department of Government Efficiency has slashed $881 million from the Institute of Education Sciences, terminating 169 contracts. • Critics, including education advocates and researchers, warn the cuts will harm student outcomes and exacerbate inequities. • Supporters argue the move is a necessary step to reduce federal overreach and empower local educators to address student needs. • The cuts come amid declining national test scores and growing frustration with the federal government’s role in education.

The case for local community control

For decades, the federal government has inserted itself into America’s classrooms, dictating policies and priorities through a labyrinth of grants, mandates, and research initiatives. The IES, established in 2002, was intended to provide data-driven insights into student performance and program effectiveness. Instead, it has become a symbol of bureaucratic inefficiency, funneling taxpayer dollars into questionable projects while failing to address the root causes of educational inequity. The recent cuts target programs like ReSolve, a 101 million initiative aimed at accelerating math learning for fourth and fifth graders, and 1.5 million allocated to observe mailing operations at a mail center. While these projects may sound noble on paper, their effectiveness has been dubious at best. The federal government has no business micromanaging education.

Florida is leading the way with school choice and parental control of education dollars

The federal government’s involvement in education has long been a contentious issue. From the creation of the Department of Education in 1979 to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, federal policies have often been criticized for their one-size-fits-all approach. President Donald Trump’s administration sought to dismantle the Department of Education entirely, arguing that states and local districts should have greater autonomy. While those efforts were largely unsuccessful, the recent cuts to IES represent a significant step toward decentralizing education policy. In Florida, for example, Republicans led by Governor Ron DeSantis passed a comprehensive “School Choice” law, allowing parents to choose the school that suits their kids best, whether that’s a charter school, a public school, or any type of private school, including homeschools. The funding is granted to parents to help them make the best decision for their household. In just a few short years, under Governor Ron DeSantis' leadership, Florida has been ranked number one in education freedom by the ALEC Index of State Education Freedom. Florida has also seen a record high in high school graduation rates.

Empowering educators, not bureaucrats

The cuts to IES are not just about saving money—they’re about restoring trust in the people who know education best: teachers, parents, and local leaders. By redirecting resources away from Washington and into classrooms, communities will have the freedom to innovate and address the unique challenges their students face. This is about putting power back where it belongs. When you let educators lead, instead of dictating to them from Washington, you see real change. When you let bureaucrats lead, you get more paperwork and less progress, and kids being herded using DEI programs that separate them by race. The decline in national test scores, as highlighted by recent NAEP results, underscores the failure of federal oversight. Reading proficiency has plummeted, and math performance remains stagnant, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdowns and school closures, which were a catastrophic failure of government central planners. Rather than doubling down on failed policies, the cuts to IES offer an opportunity to rethink how we approach education in America. In the end, the slashing of $900 million from the Federal Education Research Office is not an act of destruction—it’s an act of liberation. For too long, the federal government has treated education like a factory, churning out standardized policies and programs that ignore the diverse needs of students across the country. By dismantling this bureaucratic behemoth, we are not abandoning accountability; we are embracing innovation. Sources include: YourNews.com X.com IslanderNews.com
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