To the surprise — or horror — of many, President Donald Trump is actually following through on one of his campaign promises: The U.S. Department of Education is on the chopping block.
Change can be scary, particularly when it comes to something that may affect our children, so it’s not really surprising that many are throwing back their heads and howling. After all, we’ve had the Department of Education for over 40 years now! What if we give it the ax, or at least reduce its spending, and find that we’ve diminished the chances our children have for future success?
But such thinking severely degrades a certain class of people: parents.
It may not be purposeful, but when it comes to education, parents are often treated as second-class citizens – even in their own minds. The thinking goes that parents know nothing about child development and learning styles, it’s only the experts who can successfully navigate children from cradle to career!
Hogwash.
It’s time we stopped believing that parents don’t know what’s best for their children. In fact, I would suggest that parents know far more than the experts in the Department of Education.
I’m not alone in that assessment, for a man far wiser had the same thought. His name was President Ronald Reagan.
Like Trump, Reagan addressed the issue of abolishing the Department of Education, noting the following in a 1983 address to the nation:
But better education doesn't mean a bigger Department of Education. In fact, that Department should be abolished. Instead, we must do a better job teaching the basics, insisting on discipline and results, encouraging competition and, above all, remembering that education does not begin with Washington officials or even State and local officials. It begins in the home, where it is the right and responsibility of every American. [Emphasis added.]
Reagan’s words are a good reminder. We shouldn’t be looking to Washington to educate our children, nor should we be looking to individual state governments. Their track record is pitiful. Consider the chart below from The Nation’s Report Card which shows nationwide 12th grade reading proficiency since 1992. Not much has changed over that time. If anything, scores have become worse, and today, only 37% of the nation’s high school seniors are reading proficiently … meaning that roughly two-thirds aren’t.
Things aren’t much better on a state level either. Take Alabama, for example. Statistics aren’t available for 12th graders, but only 22% of Alabama 8th graders are proficient in reading.
Citing these statistics is not meant to discourage families; instead, it’s meant to encourage them. If the bar is set this low, then who is to say that parents – who love their children, want the best for them, and have many, many waking moments with them – can’t rise above that low threshold and help their children attain far higher heights?
The fact is, parents often are capable of far more than they give themselves credit. If you’ve ever felt like you could never homeschool, then I’ve got news for you: If you’re a parent with young children in the house, you already are homeschooling. Why not just make that training time you have with them more purposeful?
There are a few simple ways anyone can do that.
The first is to check out E. D. Hirsch’s book series on what your child needs to know. Starting with “What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know” and working up through sixth grade, Hirsch offers an easily understandable guide with reading selections, math problems, and various civic and cultural knowledge points for each specific grade level. If you find your child struggles in some of these areas, then looking for books or ways to expand that knowledge is an easy way to help them advance – likely far beyond their classmates.
Another way is to teach your children to memorize. Although often scorned as a rote, outdated learning technique, research shows that memorization actually improves critical thinking and creativity, while also hindering future cognitive decline. So get your child memorizing some classic poems (E. D. Hirsch’s books mentioned above provide some good options!) or have them memorize Bible verses or chapters. After all, that last option even comes with a blessing, promising that those who meditate on Scripture “have more understanding” than those who teach them!
Finally, just teach your child to do some basic life skills. Let your kids trail you around the house, working alongside you to plant a garden, paint the house, or change the oil on the car. Those basic skills will serve children well, giving them an introduction to the trades — which are becoming some of the highest-paid jobs these days as the boomers retire — while also giving them the satisfaction of being able to do something worthwhile, able to help both themselves and others.
Yes, closing the Department of Education may present some challenges. But in the long run, if it helps us rediscover that parents are some of the best teachers children have, then the children of our nation may be a whole lot better off than they have been in recent decades.
Annie Holmquist is the culture and opinion editor for 1819 News. Her writing may be found at The Epoch Times, American Essence Magazine, and her Substack, Annie's Attic.
This culture article was made possible by The Fred & Rheta Skelton Center for Cultural Renewal, a project of 1819 News. To comment on this article, please email culture@1819news.com.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News.
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