Trump's executive order to dismantle Education Department sparks debate in Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa. — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, a move that has sparked contrasting opinions in Pennsylvania. The order directs the Education Secretary to "return authority over education to the states and local communities."

Deborah Gordon Klehr, executive director of the Education Law Center, criticized the decision.

"Shutting down the U.S. Department of Education sends an unacceptable message that education is no longer a national priority," Gordon Klehr said.

Conversely, Michael Geer, president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute, supported the order.

"We need to do something different. It seems radical and change is hard, but I think this is a real good step in the right direction," he said.

The executive order has raised concerns about the potential impact on federal funding for Pennsylvania's schools.

Chris Lilienthal, assistant director of communications for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said this could leave over a billion dollars on the table.

"What happens to the $1.6 billion in federal funding that flows from the Department of Education into Pennsylvania's public schools? We believe that this executive order has put that funding at risk," Lilienthal said.

Geer argued that the mandates from the U.S. Department of Education required to receive federal funding are costly.

"Those mandates are estimated at costing Pennsylvania about a billion dollars more than the federal funding that they get," he said. "This is a real opportunity for Pennsylvania for educators who are working really hard to actually have the resources and the funding and the ability to make local and state decisions that previously were made in Washington."

While the Pennsylvania Department of Education's role in supporting the state's schools remains unchanged, opinions differ on whether the executive order will complicate or simplify its responsibilities.

Lilienthal said they found federal funding can support 7,000 jobs in PA public schools.

"We did a calculation and determined that there are about 7,000 positions in public schools that are funded with this federal funding," Lilienthal said.

On the other hand, Geer said no positions are hired or employed by the U.S. Department of Education, so maybe there is room for dollars to support education elsewhere.

"There's not a single educator that is hired or employed by the federal Department of Education," Geer said. "So when you think about, what is about 5,000 federal at the federal Department of Education. If we could take those 5,000 employees or the dollars that are being spent and put it in classrooms of Pennsylvania and these other states surrounding states, I think it's a plus."