This year, I worked as an election poll worker in Houston’s North Forest MUD district. As an advocate and worker in education and mental health, the election season is usually a watershed moment for policy change. One unspoken aspect of the job is active listening. Nothing drives voters to the polls faster than outrage over policies they disagree with. As a worker, you listen unbiasedly and remind them of the power they have by voting. This election year, I’ve spent a lot of time listening to talks about controversial policy changes and political campaigns.
President Joe Biden, of course, has stepped down and supported Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. This endorsement has the potential to elect the first female, black, Asian-American president. On the other hand, conservatives have been promoting Project 2025 in conjunction with former President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign and efforts to turn White House policies red on all fronts. Some of their suggestions could jeopardize public education, which is at the heart of America.
Project 2025 develops a framework for conservative leadership. Project 2025 reads: “The project will build on four pillars that will, collectively, pave the way for an effective conservative Administration.” A new administration is built on four pillars: a policy agenda, personnel, training, and a 180-day playbook. The nearly 900-page blueprint emphasizes contentious changes to indoctrinate current and future leaders.
Lindsey M. Burke’s chapter 11, “Department of Education,” stands out to me. The very first phrase begins with: “MISSION: Federal education policy should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated.” With the education department approaching its 45th anniversary, it is disconcerting to read intentions to dissolve it outlined so plainly. This contentious plan comes at a time when Texas and the rest of the country face a severe teacher shortage.
Following the reopening of schools after the COVID-19 lockdowns, educators began to leave in waves, citing fatigue, unequal compensation, and a culture that demanded hard labor for little monetary reward. During the 2023-2024 school year, 86 percent of Texas school districts struggled to fill vacancies. In 2021-2022, the teacher attrition rate peaked at 13.4%, the highest rate in the state’s history.
After three years of working as a substitute teacher in the Cypress-Fairbanks school district, I’ve realized that there are never enough temporary remedies to long-standing problems. School districts have used controversial methods to fill vacancies, such as hiring uncertified instructors and paying unsustainable hiring bonuses. In 2024, more than 15,300 teachers were hired without teaching credentials. However, these interim measures have not helped long-term teacher retention, prompting calls for a change in national policy.
The United States Department of Education has acknowledged the need for change and increased educator retention. Officials issued a policy brief aimed at “eliminating the educator shortage in every school by ensuring that schools are adequately staffed, paying educators competitively, and strengthening pathways into the profession.” These ambitions stand in sharp contrast to the policies described in Project 2025. Over the last year, new regulations such as SB 17 established by conservative legislators have prohibited Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs in higher education. The consequences were immediate: such programs were removed from schools, educators were laid off, and kids were denied access to DEI offices. Our school system has already deteriorated. How much bigger would the losses be if former President Donald Trump was reelected?
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In the past, the educational department’s leadership has propelled our country forward through the adoption of Title IX, the Higher Education Act, the Every Student Succeeds Act, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the 2024 National Educational Plan, and so on. It has also tried to close student achievement gaps and keep qualified and diverse teachers.
The Texas Education Agency, led by the Commissioner of the Department of Education, collaborates with the State Board of Education to provide support and financial assistance to primary and secondary schools. As the Department of Education’s state counterparts, these agencies are responsible for establishing checks and balances.
However, the breakup of the federal education department would undermine the authority of state agencies that have followed DOE rules and regulations. This would result in additional job losses, funding cuts, and the closure of agencies that offer structural and financial assistance. Our educators would be left without foundational reinforcements, and educational checks and balances at the federal level would be eliminated. The hierarchy of national and state agencies would be abolished, beginning with the DOE and progressing to state and local divisions. The outcome would be terrible.
Teachers and their unions are advocating for increased funding, support, and a structure that protects them. Removing the Department of Education would simply exacerbate the issues.
On November 5th, voters will choose our educational future. Our voices will determine whether the Department of Education will commemorate its 45th anniversary of making steady progress toward equal access to education for all Americans. I’ll leave you with the words of Miguel Cardona, a teacher who is now the United States Secretary of Education: “It’s not only our responsibility, but our commitment at the Department of Education, to encourage, invest in, and lift up teachers across America.” “Our country’s and our children’s futures are at stake.”
