Dear Editor:

There has been considerable discussion about reforming the Department of Education (DOE) to better serve the needs of students. Recently, National Education Association (NEA) President Becky Pringle stated on live TV, “Any proposed cuts from the federal government impact real students.” However, as a former member of Georgia’s Education Committee while serving in the state House of Representatives, my experience suggests otherwise.

The Department of Education doesn’t need reform—it needs to be abolished. This isn't an unrealistic notion. Congress has done it before, and it could do it again. Some of you may ask, “Didn't President Jimmy Carter establish the DOE?” The answer is yes, but not first. In fact, the first federal Department of Education was created in 1867 under President Andrew Johnson. Fortunately, Congress had the foresight to abolish it a year later. Shouldn’t we learn from history?

The current iteration of the DOE was established on Oct. 17, 1979.

Over the past 46 years, it has grown into a massive bureaucratic entity, affecting all 50 states without providing any tangible benefits. But there’s a more fundamental issue at play: Education has traditionally been a responsibility of the states—and it should remain that way. Education is not one of the powers explicitly granted to the federal government in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. The 10th Amendment further clarifies that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved for the states or the people. As Thomas Jefferson once said, “The government that governs least, governs best.”

When my wife and I graduated from high school in 1976, the federal government had no involvement in education—because there was no federal Department of Education. My wife went on to college, worked as a homemaker, and later in the newspaper business. I earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree while serving as an Air Force pilot. We both received our education through the Georgia public school system, and we were prepared for the future—all without the intervention of the federal government.

The principle is clear: Government is best when it is closest to the people. Education decisions should be made at the local level, where they can be more responsive to the needs of students, parents, and teachers.

I urge you to contact your elected representatives—both at the state and federal level—and encourage them to support bringing education back to where it belongs: in the hands of the states.

Jack White, Major, USAF (Ret.)
Former member, Georgia House of Representatives
Rincon