What to Do at Department of Ed

Commentary

As the new administration prepares to take office in the Executive Branch after the inauguration on Jan. 20, there is a call for reform in federal practices related to higher education. The current public opinion of higher education institutions is low, and changes are needed.

Institutions like Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania rely heavily on federal support. Federal research funding plays a crucial role in maintaining the sciences at these universities, but it also comes with strings attached. For example, there is pressure from offices of civic rights to address disparities in standardized test outcomes. Changing federal policy on higher education would have a significant impact on the entire system.

Here are some suggestions for the incoming political appointments:

Firstly, President Trump and his administration could eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices within the Department of Education and cultural agencies. The focus on social engineering in personnel matters, grant-making, and program development needs to stop.

The division of Americans into privileged and historically disadvantaged groups should not dictate government policy. Those responsible for implementing such programs should be reassigned or let go. Identity politics should have no place in these agencies.

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Secondly, the new administration should review the current accreditors responsible for evaluating and authorizing educational institutions. Accreditation is essential for schools to be recognized and for the degrees they award to be valid. However, accreditors have introduced identity politics into their criteria, requiring schools to comply in order to receive a positive score. The administration should mandate accreditors to remove identity criteria from their assessments or authorize new accreditors that do not focus on woke standards.

Thirdly, there has been a surge in enrollments in classical education schools at the primary and secondary levels in recent years. This trend indicates a demand for classical education, with many conservative colleges experiencing increased interest. The Department of Education could support this by creating new programs in the field, reallocating funds from discontinued DEI initiatives. Special grants could be provided for recruiting teachers, improving facilities, and expanding arts programs.

These actions may face backlash, but withdrawing from illiberal identity politics practices in higher education could be a significant political victory for the incoming administration.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.