Amidst all of the drama of Trump’s recent cabinet picks, one under-qualified nominee hasn’t been talked about enough: Linda McMahon as the new Secretary of Education.
Ms. McMahon is the former head of the WWE (yes, World Wrestling Entertainment) and the chair of America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC. Much like Trump’s former education secretary, Betsy DeVos, she doesn’t have much experience with public education. But she does have the only prerequisite that Trump seems to care about: absolute loyalty to him.
In fact, she wants to help him dismantle the Department of Education. “We will send education back to the states,” Trump said recently, “and Linda will spearhead that effort.”
To be clear, “sending education back to the states” is a terrible idea. Much like abortion rights, it would mean that the residents of some states would have rights and resources while others have none. Red states and rural districts currently receive the majority of federal education funding. Taking that away from already-underfunded schools would mean even greater inequities for students. And those disparities in education trickle down to all parts of society, including local economies.
But, as with so many outlandish Trump promises, it’s unclear if such a thing can even be done. Closing the Department of Education would require an act of Congress and even Republicans are skeptical of the plan. What’s more likely is uncertainty and chaos - and again, the ones who suffer will be the students.
There’s no denying that’s a scary and depressing thought. As always, the antidote is fighting locally. On this week’s podcast we talked to Diana Brown, who was just elected to school board in Manassas, Virginia. She says there’s a lot that board members, teachers, and parents can do in their own districts to help students succeed.
Reach out to your kids’ teachers and tell them you appreciate them. Attend a school board meeting. Talk to your friends and neighbors about the importance of public education. There’s so much we can do to stand up against the impending smackdown, and we can’t afford to tap out.
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