Month: March 2025

“This Is Fine”, An Education Story: Notes from the Charred Remains of Federal Oversight

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If you know me personally, it will not shock you that I’m following the federal government’s decisions on education very closely. 
If you speak with me routinely, it will not shock you that I’ve dedicated an entire post to funding mechanisms for public education.
If you don’t know me at all— thanks for getting this far, shocked or not.

The Dismantling

As you may know, On March 20, 2025, Trump signed signed an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. (And, yes, that Linda McMahon—former WWE executive and wife of the guy who made folding chairs to the face a business model—is now in charge of dismantling public education. So if this feels like a setup for a steel cage match between equity and chaos, you’re not wrong.)

The administration argues that closing the department would allow children and parents to escape a failing system and return control of education to states and local communities.

However, fully abolishing the department requires congressional approval, making complete closure unlikely without legislative action. 

Critics- including the National Education Association- warn that dismantling the department could harm vulnerable students by reducing resources, increasing class sizes, and weakening civil rights protections.

What does this mean for states?

Let’s start with the obvious: diminished civil rights protections and further disenfranchisement of vulnerable populations.

States where public education relies on federal funding formulas to supplement state and district budgets will be especially screwed. That’s because the federal slice isn’t evenly distributed—it’s targeted, often making up 15–20% of the budget in high-poverty districts. Sometimes more. And because the alternative to formula funding is state funding, local funding, or block grants.

And not all funding is created equal.

Think of it this way: Federal education funding is like a fire hose aimed at schools most in need.
Block grants? They’re more like handing everyone the same cup of water and hoping all the fires are the same size.

Aspect Block Grants Federal Categorical Grants
Flexibility High – local control Low – must follow specific rules
Based on Need No – same amount per student Yes – targeted to specific populations (e.g., low-income)
Accountability Less rigorous reporting High – must meet federal guidelines
Adjustable Funding No – fixed amount Often adjusts based on demographics/data
Risk in Funding Gaps High – doesn’t scale with student needs Lower – more responsive to need

One of these is how you build equity. The other is how you pretend you tried.

https://tinysliceofhell.com

Feel the Buuuurn

So, who’s standing closest to the fire?

States like Mississippi, Alabama, and South Dakota—where public education budgets rely heavily on federal aid—will get scorched first. These states often serve high concentrations of low-income students, English learners, and students with disabilities, and they depend on targeted federal programs to meet even basic educational standards.

But don’t get too comfortable, New Hampshire or any of these other states, with limited or special income tax situations: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wyoming and Tennessee- I’m looking at you. Holding a dixie cup of federal relief, instead of a firehose.

States like NH, where local property taxes do the heavy lifting and federal funds make up a smaller slice, won’t be spared either. Why? Because those federal dollars, while smaller in proportion, are still the only part of the system designed for equity. They’re the only funds that come with rules saying, “Hey, you actually have to spend this on the kids who need it most.”

Here’s how the funding breakdown plays out in a few representative states:

Hope You Packed Your Flame-Retardant Jammies

Currently, federal education grants are like one of those heavy fire blankets you can cower under—awkward, yes, but generally effective at preventing you from burning to death. They come with oversight, accountability, and rules that make sure states and districts don’t just take the money and run.

One of those rules is called Maintenance of Effort (MOE). It basically says:
“You can’t gut your own education budget and then expect federal money to fill in the gap.”

MOE requires states and districts to prove they’re maintaining consistent levels of local and state funding before federal dollars are released. It’s not perfect, but it’s one of the last things standing between vulnerable students and total budgetary abandonment.

Now enter block grants.

Under a block grant system, the big, smothering fire blanket gets swapped out for a pair of flame-retardant pajamas—you know the ones. Something that technically counts as protection, but isn’t stopping anyone from catching fire if things really go south.

When the federal fire watch is gone

Beyond the money, the U.S. Department of Education does something most people never think about until it’s gone: it protects students’ civil rights.

It’s the federal referee that steps in when schools:

  • Discriminate against students with disabilities
  • Fail to provide language access for English learners
  • Ignore the educational rights of homeless or migrant children
  • Engage in racially discriminatory practices
  • Deny students their legal rights under IDEA, Title IX, Title VI, or Section 504

When the Department of Education goes up in smoke, so does the office that investigates those violations. And in its place? Vibes. Maybe a block grant. Possibly a really strongly worded letter from your state department—if you’re lucky.

The Department’s enforcement arm, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), currently fields thousands of complaints a year—many from parents and students who have nowhere else to turn.

And let’s not pretend this is a new idea.

During Trump’s first term, the OCR wasn’t eliminated—it was hollowed out. Investigations slowed. Staff was cut. Obama-era protections for transgender students and racial equity in discipline were rolled back. Title IX enforcement was reshaped. The sign stayed on the door, but the work was quietly gutted.

If the Department is fully dismantled, we’re not just losing oversight—we’re losing the illusion that anyone’s even pretending to care. Removing the Department of Education doesn’t just shrink a bureaucracy—it removes the backstop for kids who already have the least power in the system. No blanket, no jammies.

This Is Not Fine

Let’s recap:

The federal government wants out.
The fire hose of targeted funding? Replaced with a dixie cup and a shrug.
The rules that kept states honest? Gone.
The office that enforced civil rights? Hollowed out once already—now possibly gone for good.
The most vulnerable kids in our public schools? Left to make do with “flexibility.”

And in place of all that?
Block grants.
Because nothing says equity like a flat dollar amount and a prayer.

Let’s be clear: block grants and local control are not inherently evil. But in a system built on deep, structural inequity, they are woefully insufficient—and in the absence of federal guardrails, they are dangerous.

Local control without federal oversight is just a race to see who cuts the deepest without consequences.

If we let this happen—if we pretend this is just bureaucracy shrinking and not a deliberate attempt to gut the last threads of accountability in public education—we’re complicit.

So no, this is not fine.
But you knew that already.

What Can We Do?

  • Contact Your Representatives: Reach out to your senators and congressional representatives to express your concerns about these changes. Personal stories and data highlighting the potential negative impacts can be powerful.​
  • Support Advocacy Groups: Organizations like the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) are actively working to combat these changes. Supporting their efforts amplifies your voice.​
  • Stay Informed and Mobilize: Educate your community about these issues. Host discussions, share information on social media, and encourage others to take action.​

In the next Tiny Slice of Hell:

  • Special Education & Nutrition Programs → moving to Health & Human Services (HHS)
  • Federal Student Loans → moving to the Small Business Administration (SBA)

These moves were part of Trump’s March 2025 executive order to dismantle the Department of Education—and they raise huge questions about oversight, expertise, and whether student support is being replaced with business strategy.

Questions? Comments? Emotional Outbursts?

Leave a comment, hit me with an email! hello@tinysliceofhell.com

Sources and further reading (because facts matter):

Trump’s Executive Order to Dismantle the U.S. Department of Education:

Plans to Shift Student Loans to SBA & Special Education/Nutrition to HHS:

Federal Education Funding & Block Grant Comparison:

Maintenance of Effort (MOE):

Federal vs. State vs. Local School Funding Data:

Civil Rights Enforcement via OCR: