Trump Calls for Department of Education to Be ‘Closed Immediately’

[Cheeky200386]

When I was growing up, way, way, way before the internet, homeschooling resources didn't exist like they do now, in part because not needed like they are now. The public schools, at least where I was, were generally reasonable and didn't do a lot of anti-Christian/anti-Jewish stuff other than when they took teacher-led corporate prayer and the Bibles out of the classrooms. And they actually did promote academic excellence and student and staff behavior was generally what it should have been. There were a lot more church-run schools then, too, and they, along with secular and religious private schools were very well regarded
I wasn't even taught evolution in public school! And the Bible was allowed as a resource and reference. As late as when my younger siblings were in HS, there were still classes based on the Bible: The Bible as Literature, The Bible as History, Biblical Archaeology, etc. in the public schools. And Bible clubs, etc. after school in the school.

In a lot of ways, I wish I had gone to Christian schools growing up and at least for my undergrad, though.


These days, the internet can be a great equalizer

Dependent on access, though. Some families don't have reliable internet in the home. Some due to money, some due to location (rural), and some due to parents simply not allowing it.

Starlink might fix the internet problem in rural areas.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Starlink might fix the internet problem in rural areas.

So long as electricity


Some Amish groups still shun electricity.

And some places not far from where I lived in rural Missouri still had dirt floors, plowed with mules, no running water (or there was only a hand pump for the kitchen sink), no indoor bathroom, heated with the fireplace only, and had no vehicles or electricity, even well into the 21st Century. AFAIK, still the same.

 

[Cheeky200386]

So long as electricity


Some Amish groups still shun electricity.

And some places not far from where I lived in rural Missouri still had dirt floors, plowed with mules, no running water (or there was only a hand pump for the kitchen sink), no indoor bathroom, heated with the fireplace only, and had no vehicles or electricity, even well into the 21st Century. AFAIK, still the same.

I don’t believe the Amish use public schools anyways.

I’m also assuming for those with no running water, no electricity, they are probably the exception and not the average American family. Even still, libraries are free and have a ton of educational resources, computers with internet and are usually at the center of towns or districts. I’m assuming they figure out a way to get to work so I’m sure finding a way to the library would not be impossible. If there is no library, I imagine the public school system is also nonexistent or terrible.

If that is the case, I would rather my kid just learn how to read the Bible than sending them to Public school. As long as they can read, which there are books to teach a child this, then they can learn and teach themselves anything later on. That’s how much I want to see public schools disappear. It’s so bad that even third world America is better off without it, imo.

I have heard that some poor families need public school for food. I would like to see something in place as a transition to a new option for those families. Ideally I would love to see church schools take over where kids get fed and taught the Bible along with academics.

For all the extreme cases out there in this country I believe the point remains, where there is a will, there is a way. We survived without the federal public school for a long time in this country and I know we can do it again.

 

[Tall Timbers]

So long as electricity


Some Amish groups still shun electricity.

And some places not far from where I lived in rural Missouri still had dirt floors, plowed with mules, no running water (or there was only a hand pump for the kitchen sink), no indoor bathroom, heated with the fireplace only, and had no vehicles or electricity, even well into the 21st Century. AFAIK, still the same.

Sounds like the kind of place where I would like to live.

 

[Bethlehem57]

There are a ton of resources for parents nowadays to teach advanced subjects. Lots of great curricula with videos and even live teachers. That’s what I’ll be doing with my kids for advanced math and science.

Coops can also be a great resource to have skilled parents teach the kids. There really isn’t a reason not to due to lack of education.

Also, many areas have home school clubs that offer help with higher than what my mind could handle. I did a little homeschooling with our daughter (adopted granddaughter) who had learning difficulties and public school gave me a fit over IEP. I had fight to get her help and finally got frustrated with it and homeschooled. If not for these clubs, I don’t know what I’d have done. We were blessed to finally have access to small private Christian school that gave us a scholarship and we could afford it.

I don’t know what I’d do today if I had school age! Thank the Lord I don’t and I pray for those who do!

 

[Hol]

Here’s an article on wasteful spending that’s getting cut:

DOGE slashes over $100M in DEI funding at Education Department: 'Win for every student'

The Department of Government Efficiency is slashing $100 million in spending by the Department of Education to diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings.

www.yahoo.com

“The Department of Education (DOE) is canceling more than $100 million in grants to fund diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training as part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) sweep of "wasteful" spending.

DOGE, the department led by Elon Musk to cut costs within the federal government, announced the termination of 89 DOE contracts totaling $881 million in a post on X Monday night.

Of the nearly $1 billion, DOGE identified $101 million that was being used for DEI training, including teaching educators to "help students understand/interrogate the complex histories involved in oppression, and help students recognize areas of privilege and power on an individual and collective basis."

 

[Shinobi]

President Donald Trump expressed that he wants the Department of Education to be “closed immediately,” describing it as a “big con job.”

“Oh, I’d like it to be closed immediately,” Trump answered. “Look, the Department of Education is a big con job. We’re ranked — so they ranked the top forty countries in the world. We’re ranked number 40th, but we’re ranked number one in one department, costs per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked number 40. We’ve been between 38 and 40, the last time I looked it was 38 and then I looked two days ago … it came out at number 40.”

Trump continued to state that the United States government should send education back down to states, “I say send it back to Iowa, to Idaho, to Colorado.”

Trump Calls for Department of Education to Be 'Closed Immediately'

President Donald Trump said he wanted the Department of Education to be "closed immediately," describing it as a "big con job."

www.breitbart.com

What's he waiting for? I guess there are probably details that would need working out to ensure a smooth transition to the states.

I would think what he may be waiting for is that the change from DOE at the federal level shift back to the state level will be a mess especially in what is called Blue states or such places with a heavy democratic presence. We already know the democratic side of the house is doing everything they can to trip up whatever Trump is trying to do. The current federal level control of education has been in place since 1980. We are looking at 45 years where the corrupt politicians have had their way to make a mess out of it. It won't get cleaned up in short order or make the shift back to the states quickly. I wish it would but it won't.

 

[CarlA]

Why don't we go back further. Pre 1900. Students would get all their basics by grade 12. School teachers would all be educated in the basics.

I spent my first 8 grades in little one room country schools. All the students did all 8 grades in the one room. The teacher would split her time with all the grades. And there was still time to ask questions.

High school for me was from 1955 to 1959. Had the basics math, english, history. The rest such as home economics, shop, athletics were picked after the basics were filled. When graduated knew enough for any regular job with a couple weeks of training for the particulars of that job.

Back then if you had a hobby the skills could lead to a better job. Then there were correspondent courses that could be taken via the mail. I took one in Industrial Electronics. Finished it after out of the army. The electronics class in the army had a couple electrical engineer graduates from MIT. I beat them with my hobby electronics and the correspondent course I took.

You don't need all the funny stuff just the basics.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Why don't we go back further. Pre 1900. Students would get all their basics by grade 12. School teachers would all be educated in the basics.

I spent my first 8 grades in little one room country schools. All the students did all 8 grades in the one room. The teacher would split her time with all the grades. And there was still time to ask questions.

High school for me was from 1955 to 1959. Had the basics math, english, history. The rest such as home economics, shop, athletics were picked after the basics were filled. When graduated knew enough for any regular job with a couple weeks of training for the particulars of that job.

Back then if you had a hobby the skills could lead to a better job. Then there were correspondent courses that could be taken via the mail. I took one in Industrial Electronics. Finished it after out of the army. The electronics class in the army had a couple electrical engineer graduates from MIT. I beat them with my hobby electronics and the correspondent course I took.

You don't need all the funny stuff just the basics.

All the basics were covered in grades 1-3. Readin,' ritin,' and 'rithmatic. Back then it was called primary education, and a lot of kids never got more than that, as they then apprenticed to a trade or took their place in the family business. Instead of working outside the home, many girls just helped around the house, learning womanly arts (cooking, sewing, housekeeping, running a household, gardening, preserving, etc.), maybe filling a hope chest, and helping with younger siblings until old enough to marry.

A Bible and dictionary in each classroom. If there wasn't any other book, there was a Bible, and kids learned how to read using it. There's a book from a couple decades ago about the "built-in dictionary" in the KJV (AV Publications)

A lot of places didn't have paper for schools, so kids used a small, hand-held chalkboard or the bigger one in the classroom for doing math and practicing writing. Or even a stick and the dirt outside.

 

[mattfivefour]

Kids of our era had so much, although in material terms we had so little. I'm amazed at how impoverished the modern generation is, despite everything that they have. They've lost the sense of wonder, of being a kid, of amusing oneself, of actual conversation, of family, of physical friends, of unstructured physical activity, of enjoying the real life unfolding in nature around them, of learning to do for themselves, of using their imagination to create dreams rather than having them created for them, of the joys of simple life. We truly were blessed.

 

[Cheeky200386]

Kids of our era had so much, although in material terms we had so little. I'm amazed at how impoverished the modern generation is, despite everything that they have. They've lost the sense of wonder, of being a kid, of amusing oneself, of actual conversation, of family, of physical friends, of unstructured physical activity, of enjoying the real life unfolding in nature around them, of learning to do for themselves, of using their imagination to create dreams rather than having them created for them, of the joys of simple life. We truly were blessed.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Kids of our era had so much, although in material terms we had so little. I'm amazed at how impoverished the modern generation is, despite everything that they have. They've lost the sense of wonder, of being a kid, of amusing oneself, of actual conversation, of family, of physical friends, of unstructured physical activity, of enjoying the real life unfolding in nature around them, of learning to do for themselves, of using their imagination to create dreams rather than having them created for them, of the joys of simple life. We truly were blessed.

A lot of it is not being brought up in a Christian home, taken to Sunday School/Church, being read the Bible and Bible stories before bed, learning to pray, being taught what Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep really means (including vivid descriptions of Hell), The Lord's Prayer, Law and Gospel, Salvation, forgiveness, Jesus' atoning sacrifice, various hymns, including Jesus Loves Me, right-and-wrong, sitting down as a whole family for at least one meal of the day (usually dinner) with a before-meal prayer, good, Godly conversation and direction, and being given a real Bible at a very early age (at least by 4th Grade, but preferably K or 1st Grade) so he or she can read it alone at his/her pace and as led by The Holy Ghost, and getting Baptized and Confirmed.

Kids today are exposed to everything and like dutiful sponges, absorb it all, but without the proper moral and Biblical underpinnings and ongoing support, have no way to sort good from bad, except as society/teacher/media/social media dictates, and with no way to resist bad, simply go along with the crowd to get along with the crowd.

And these days, Parents have kids, but don't raise kids. Actually, Parents are supposed to raise responsible adults, not kids. God needs people prepared to take their places as responsible adults for life and whatever labors He has for them in the Church, family, and society. God doesn't need a generation of 18-year-old kids, who aren't prepared to be adults, He needs a generation of 18-year-old responsible adults, who are prepared to be adults. Abeit inexperienced adults, who will make a lot of mistakes, but adults, none-the-less.