By Dr. Steve Gallon III,
For “All Children” in “All Schools”
Our community, state, and nation have been embroiled in much debate, discourse, and even discord about the present and future state of public education. The recent executive actions to dismantle the United States Department of Education (USDOE) have caused concern and consternation among educators, policy makers, parents, and in some cases, even students. During my nearly four decades career in education, I have always taken a somewhat agnostic view of the role that the federal government played in the funding of public education. In fact, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, federal funding accounts for about 11 percent of total elementary and secondary public-school revenue. However, this figure climbs and may vary significantly in certain states, underscoring the potential risks of such policy shifts. For example, in Florida, federal funds result in approximately an additional $2,300.00 per student whereas in North Dakota it results in a $3,990.00 per student funding enhancement.
Although concerns regarding funding have dominated the discourse regarding any “dismantling” of the USDOE, its role and potential impact in public schools around the nation go beyond funding—an understanding linked to its origins well over a century and half ago.
The original Education Department was created in 1867 as a way to collect information on schools to help the country create effective school systems. It was understood that although not specifically mentioned in the Constitution– and as such, left to the states, education would play a role in the growth, protection, and power of the United States. Later established by Congress on May 4, 1980, in the Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88 of October 1979), the USDOE, in my assessment assumed three critical roles: to provide, protect, and enforce. The provision of resources for special needs, poor, homeless, English Language Learners, and college bound students has been an essential function of the USDOE. These additional supports have provided a bridge of equity and opportunity to students and families in every sector of our community, state, and nation. The USDOE has also played a significant role in the protection of student, employee, and family rights—rights that are guaranteed and protected by federal law. Protecting the rights of special needs, female, and immigrant student populations have provided requisite guardrails to ensure the promises made by the “Framers” and through subsequent amendments to the Constitution.
A final function of the USDOE has been the enforcement of federal law. In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 1954, the landmark case in which the U.S. Supreme Court declared school segregation unconstitutional, it was the federal government, that assumed an enforcement role for deep Southern state that stubbornly refused to comply and integrate its schools.
While Americans mostly cheered the Court’s decision in Brown, many white Southerners decried it—viewing it as “a day of catastrophe”—a Black Monday—a day something like Pearl Harbor. In the face of entrenched Southern opposition, progress on integrating American schools was slow. Such resistance was captured in the image of 6-year old Ruby Bridges, after being one of six black children in New Orleans to pass the test that would “allow” them to attend all-white William Frantz Elementary School, being escorted to school by federal marshals during the first day and the following days of that year.
Aside from its role as protector of rights and enforcer of law, the USDOE has played and continues to play a major role in ensuring that children and families, especially those who face challenges and too often sit on not only the margins of our educational system but the margin of society, have a fair shot at the American Dream. The provision of additional resources, which to date—without an act of Congress, remain in place, to help ensure assistance and support for poor, special needs, and immigrant student populations. Miami-Dade County Public Schools alone was allocated an additional $330 million dollars to support such student populations and legislatively approved programs.
Any intimation or notion that these funds help to support “those children” in “those schools” and not “all children” in “all schools” would be a grave, ignorant, and ill-informed miscalculation of federal funding.
Any dismantling of the USDOE that would deny or disrupt these critical funding streams would be detrimental, if not catastrophic to the learning, and ultimately the lives of children—in every school—in every zip code.
From Florida City to Countyline Road.
“Dr. Steve Gallon III is school board member for District 1. He has served as a teacher, principal, and superintendent, and is the former vice-chair of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools.”
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