The case for dismantling the Department of Education

OPINION:

For decades, Republican presidential candidates promised to dismantle the Department of Education.

President Trump didn’t just promise it; he kept his word and acted swiftly to break up the federal education bureaucracy.

Since the Department of Education was created in 1979, Washington has spent trillions of dollars on education and built a sprawling bureaucracy far removed from the classroom. Despite all that spending and intervention, American students are falling behind their peers around the world.

Before I ever cast a vote in Congress, I spent my career working in education. Now, as a mother of two children in Louisiana schools, I see this debate not just as a lawmaker but also as a parent.

Students do not succeed because someone in Washington writes another rule, adds another mandate or creates another federal program. They succeed when teachers are free to teach, parents are respected as partners and schools answer to the people who know their students and communities best.

That is why Mr. Trump is right to dismantle the Department of Education and return education to the states. In just over a year, his administration has reduced the department’s size by 40%. Secretary Linda McMahon has moved decisively to return authority to the states and, in her own words, work herself out of a job.

Some will ask what this means for rural schools and low-income communities across states such as Louisiana. I represent many of those communities and know that they have not been well served by a bloated federal bureaucracy.

Washington takes our tax dollars, runs them through layers of red tape and sends them back with strings attached that often have little to do with what students actually need.

The better approach preserves essential support for these communities while cutting the bureaucracy that stands in the way of the students they are meant to serve.

Local control is not a threat to rural schools. It is their best chance to do better. What is not needed is an ever-growing monolith that removes decision-making from communities, teachers and parents.

Coming from the world of education, I’ve seen firsthand how factors such as parental involvement, innovative teaching strategies and accountability are essential ingredients to achievement.

Louisiana is showing what happens when states lead and schools get back to basics. In 2025, our state led the nation in fourth-grade reading improvement after supporting teachers, giving parents a stronger voice and focusing on what actually helps students succeed.

Today, thousands of Louisiana children are reading at a higher level than they were a year ago.

Our neighboring state of Mississippi has shown similar progress. It’s clear that when states focus on the fundamentals, students improve.

When parents are empowered, everyone is better off. That’s why I have led the way in Congress in passing the Parents Bill of Rights and in advocating for parents to always have a voice in their children’s education.

By breaking up the federal bureaucracy and empowering parents and teachers, we can ensure that America’s children lead the world.

Mr. Trump is right to return education back to the states where it belongs, with parents at the table, teachers focused on teaching and the vast federal bureaucracy sidelined.

• Rep. Julia Letlow represents Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District. She serves on the House Education and Workforce Committee.