Ninth District Congressman Andrew Clyde (R-Jackson County) Monday defended President Trump’s funding cuts for the Department of Education (DOE) and possible dismantling of the department.
Clyde’s statement comes following an in-depth 97.5 GLORY FM weekend story in which retired Gainesville schools supt. Merianne Dyer discussed the implications such actions will have on local and state educators nationwide.
CLYDE’S STATEMENT COMES FROM HIS WEEKLY NEWSLETTER WHICH, THIS WEEK, IS DEVOTED ENTIRELY TO THE DOE ISSUE:
“Since its founding in 1979, the Department of Education has spent over $3 trillion of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars. During this period, per-pupil spending has increased by more than 245%,” Clyde writes.
Folks, you might expect that this pricey investment translates to academic success — but you’d be sorely mistaken.
Here’s the unfortunate reality of America’s education system:
Math and reading scores for 13-year-olds are at the lowest level in decades. 6-in-10 fourth graders and nearly three-quarters of eighth graders are not proficient in math. 7-in-10 fourth and eighth graders are not proficient in reading, while 40% of fourth grade students don’t even meet basic reading levels.
Standardized test scores have remained flat for decades. U.S. students rank 28 out of 37 OECD member countries in math.
Clearly, the status quo is failing American students.
Despite having more than 4,000 federal employees and spending roughly $268 billion in Fiscal Year 2024 alone, the Department of Education doesn’t operate a single school, hire a single teacher, or educate a single student.
We simply shouldn’t keep throwing taxpayer dollars into this bloated bureaucracy and hoping for better results.
The Trump Administration knows we can — and must — do better. That’s why last Thursday, President Trump took bold action to dismantle the Department of Education. His executive order returns education back to the states where it belongs, helping ensure that parents are the primary stakeholders in their children’s schooling.
Under President Trump’s leadership, we can transfer appropriate and necessary functions to different receiving federal agencies, with the ultimate goal of returning the Department of Education’s main objective back to the states. After all, parents, states, and local communities are best positioned to meet the needs of individual schools and students.
I fully support President Trump’s actions to dismantle the Department of Education, and I hope Congress moves forward in codifying these critical changes.
In fact, I’m a proud cosponsor of Rep. Thomas Massie’s legislation to abolish the Department of Education altogether. Rest assured, Republicans are working to eliminate unelected Washington bureaucrats’ control over America’s classrooms, empower parents, and expand educational freedom and opportunities for all families.”
Clyde is a longtime, staunch supporter of the President.
(In case you missed it, the special report that was posted Sunday on this website, can be found here:
Former Gville schools supt. on the uncertain future of federal monies for local schools )