The President of the United States has signed Executive Order: Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to reduce the size of the U.S. Department of Education and “take all necessary steps” to "return authority over education to the states and local communities."
AACRAO has tremendous concerns about the implications of this action, especially when aligned with other executive and Administration actions that seek to dismantle the Department without the required congressional action.
In our highly diverse and decentralized system, a national vision for a skilled and educated populace is foundational to the ability of the U.S. to compete in global innovation and research. ED serves this vital function by providing a continuous and cohesive role in the development of our nation through education. Since its establishment in 1979, the Department has played a crucial role in working to increase educational attainment in this country, as well as collecting and analyzing education data, providing guidance for reporting purposes, and ensuring that federal funding best meets the needs of institutions and vulnerable learners.
State and local governments currently maintain primary control over education policy and curriculum, and ED provides crucial support, oversight, and resources that help strengthen the U.S. as a whole.
However, we also know that historically, states have struggled to maintain education budgets, especially in economic downturns. State funding per student has decreased, shifting the financial burden onto learners and families. This reduction has led to higher tuition fees, increased family debt, and cuts to academic programs, and faculty. Our public institutions are now more underfunded and tuition-dependent than ever. The financial model isn’t working, and the pace at which higher education institutions are closing has only increased, particularly in recent years.
This move could fracture an already decentralized system and accelerate the funding crisis.
Like the Administration, we are concerned about misaligned incentives and burdensome federal oversight that leave our members reporting to ED when they could be serving their institutions, its learners, and the community. We want to see improvements, but not like this. We need collaboration, precision, and vision to inform reform.
The future of higher education as a system is tied to the future of the Department. AACRAO will continue to work to ensure the Administrations know that the “critical functions” the EO charges the Administration to maintain must include the coordination of data that informs and drives both policy and institutional decision-making, like the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), critical student aid programs that ensure access to opportunity in higher education, including federal student loans (NSLDS) and funding such as Pell Grants, TRIO, and GEAR UP, and the protection of the rights for all learners.
Higher education was at a critical juncture before this Administration came into office, with post-secondary institutions struggling to transform to meet the evolving needs of learners and the workforce. The work of AACRAO remains focused on our mission and goals. We will continue to safeguard the integrity of higher education as we have for over 100 years. We look forward to working with all stakeholders who have a vested interest in this process, including our colleague associations, the Administration, and Congress, to benefit our member institutions and the learners they serve.
Sincerely,
Melanie Gottlieb,
Executive Director, AACRAO