The Disagreement
The Disagreement w/Alex Grodd
Should the Department of Education be abolished?
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Should the Department of Education be abolished?

What role should the federal government play in U.S. education?

This is a highly topical debate. President Trump campaigned on a pledge to dismantle the DOE and has already made sweeping cuts to its research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

The Questions

  • What role should the federal government play in U.S. education?

  • Where should the Department of Education’s functions live bureaucratically? Should they stay in the DOE or be distributed to other federal agencies?

The Guests

“I believe we should have a Department of Education and we should not abolish it.” - Michelle Dimino

Michelle Dimino is the Education Program Director at Third Way, a national, center-left think tank. Michelle’s research and advocacy focus on improving student outcomes, promoting quality and transparency, and strengthening accountability through pragmatic policy reforms.

“There's no reason that the Department of Education needs to exist.” - Neal McCluskey

Neal McCluskey is the director of Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom. He is the author of the book The Fractured Schoolhouse: Reexamining Education for a Free, Equal, and Harmonious Society.

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