What the Department of Education Meant for My Public School Years

The U. S. Department of Education is a necessity. 

While the current federal administration may not agree, I’ve seen first-hand as a public school student how the Department of Education plays an extremely important role in student success across public schools and post-secondary education. Since the Department of Education Act was signed and enacted over 45 years ago, the department has worked tirelessly to continue to keep education equitable for all public school students. Legislation and funding that comes from the Department of Education (ED) is crucial to supporting students for success through each step of their educational journey and beyond. 

As evidence, I will walk you through my journey in the North Carolina public school system which spanned from 2011 to 2024. During my journey, I can pinpoint the exact times when I was heavily supported by ED legislation; even when I was unaware of it. 

In elementary school, teachers are constantly working to get their young students used to patterns and routines. Classes are conducted in a particular fashion to ensure that these patterns are not disrupted and prevent the class from descending into chaos. 

One routine that I distinctly remember occured at the beginning of each class. My teachers would stand in the front of the class and write the Common Core Standard(s) on the board for what we would be learning on that day. Once the standard was written, we knew exactly what to expect from class each day. There was never a question, it was right there on the board! 

These Common Core Standards can be attributed to the Race To The Top initiative of 2009. While this policy was certainly not perfect, as a student I do believe I benefited from it. Race to the Top incentivized states to systematically reform their public schools upon four key areas: developing common core standards, adopting better data systems to track student progress, supporting teachers and school leaders to become more effective, and increasing resources to help the lowest performing schools.  

The initiative dedicated over $4 billion to 19 states that created vigorous plans to address these four standards. North Carolina alone received $400 million. While the legislation only allowed for a one-time payment to states, it laid the foundation for states to come up with comprehensive plans to continue upholding the four categories. 

My transition from elementary to middle school was a thrilling time in my memory. I was excited to move to a new school with new teachers and even more opportunities to make friends. While 6th and 7th grade were relatively smooth sailing, aside from getting braces and increased acne, 8th grade proved to be quite different. Halfway through my 8th grade year, the COVID-19 pandemic began to run its course worldwide. By Friday, March 13, 2020, I was involuntarily participating in online school. 

Crucial years of my in-school development were minimized to my computer screen at home. With this, my school district had to cover the new-found costs that the pandemic caused. Zoom subscriptions to have full-length classes, transportation to get materials to students, and more. All of these things were costs that were completely unforeseen just months prior. To help states and their respective school districts meet these new needs for their students and educators, the Department of Education implemented a series of federal COVID-19 education relief programs. 

These funding programs included the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) which allocated $30.75 billion for grants to provide emergency support to local school systems and higher educational institutions to continue to meet the needs of their students and continue the functionality of their schools. Without this legislation, public schools and higher education programs would have been without the financial means to keep education programs as close to regular scheduling as possible.

While the COVID-19 pandemic continued into my freshman and sophomore of high school, by junior year things had finally returned to normal. However, as I got older, I began to notice that at times, I was treated differently than my peers as a Black woman. My eyes were beginning to open to how minority and marginalized groups face both conscious and unconscious biases. 

These experiences led my peers and I to speak out against unfair practices and educate ourselves on our protections under the Title IX legislation. Originally signed into law by President Richard Nixon as part of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, Title IX served as principal legislation in prohibiting sex discrimination within education programs and other activities that receive federal economic assistance. 

Since its original signing, protections have been added for LGBTQ+ students (2021), sexual harassment (2020), and sexual assault (2024), allowing Title IX to continue to provide crucial protections to vulnerable minority groups within public school systems.

In addition to the ways I’ve seen ED directly impact my education journey, the agency also houses several other programs and initiatives aimed at ensuring that every student has the equity necessary to succeed in public schools.  The role of the U.S. Department of Education is critical for students and educators across the nation, especially those from marginalized communities whether that be on the basis of race, gender, identity or socioeconomic status.

Through impactful legislation and crucial funding, the agency puts safeguards in place to help students through every step of their education and increase their success post-graduation.  We cannot simply ignore or deny the agency’s long history of successes. Instead, it’s important that in this moment we acknowledge and continue that legacy. For the sake of students across the country like myself and our future, we need the Department of Education.