Republicans plan to dismantle the Department of Education, saying it will give Ohio more control

Ohio Republicans plan to pledge their support this week for the Trump administration’s plan to abolish the U.S. Department of Education.

The Ohio resolution, shared with The Ohio Capital Journal, said that education “is not a power delegated to the federal government and has historically been governed by states and local communities accountable to families,” adding that under federal involvement, academic achievement has “stagnated or declined.”

As of Tuesday, the resolution had not been published on any government website because it is not yet finalized.

“Decades of increased federal spending and regulation have not improved outcomes for students, but have imposed burdens on states and their schools,” the draft resolution said.

State Rep. David Thomas, R-Ohio, told the news source that the measure will be introduced as part of a national movement that is allegedly needed to help the Trump administration get rid of the department that only makes things harder for educators in the Buckeye State.

“When I ask (schools) how can we help you cut costs, each school brings up all the regulations and the mandates and different things,” he told the Ohio Capital Journal. “This, to me, is another good example of something I’ve wanted, which is having more flexibility to remove a lot of those types of (federal requirements).”

Thomas claimed that the money from the federal government to fund the education system in Ohio – about 10% of the entire budget – would still be received by the state, adding that, in addition to that, Ohio educators would have more control over what to do with the money.

“I’m sure a lot of folks think you get rid of the Department of Education and that gets rid of all the money,” he said, per the report. “That’s not been what the administration has been saying, that’s not what this resolution is supporting.”

On the other hand, teachers unions in the state are not very happy about the proposition, telling the news source that Ohio will lose federal protections and other allegedly necessary services if that the department will be abolished.

“Dismantling (the department) risks cutting or destabilizing Title I and special education supports, weakens civil rights protections, and shifts costs onto local communities through higher levies or painful cuts to services,” Jeff Wensing, president of the Ohio Education Association, told the Ohio Capital Journal.

Thomas disagreed, saying that the abolishment of the department would not change the Ohio education system “dramatically.”

“I think it’s more so the policy side that changes dramatically,” he said.

The recent proposal comes amid Ohio facing problems with school consolidations and losses of millions of dollars, as well as colleges and universities cutting degree programs, failing the reading audit, and ranking only 12th in merit and free speech.