Education Is Not a Business: The Dangerous Gamble to Eliminate the Department of Education

In a move that has sparked concern across the education and nonprofit sectors, the Trump administration has officially begun efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. An executive order signed in March 2025 sets the stage for eliminating the department entirely, with the goal of transferring educational authority back to states and local districts.

As the Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA), I feel compelled to speak out—not just as an educator and cultural advocate, but as someone who has witnessed firsthand how deeply this federal department impacts the lives of our youth, our communities, and our future.

At PRAA, we bring Puerto Rican culture to life through music, arts education, and youth empowerment. We work in schools, after-school programs, and neighborhoods where access to the arts isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline. Our students learn the history and sound of the cuatro, the rhythm of bomba, and the pride of connecting with their heritage. But without the support of the Department of Education, much of this work could be at risk.

Many people think the Department of Education is just about funding schools or managing student loans. But it also plays a vital role in ensuring equity across the country—especially for low-income students, students with disabilities, English language learners, and communities like ours. The Department enforces civil rights protections, distributes essential grants, and supports programs that allow community organizations like PRAA to thrive in partnership with public schools.

What’s happening now feels like something pulled straight out of books like The Shock Doctrine—a kind of reactionary, ideology-driven effort that uses disruption and “deal-making” as a cover for restructuring entire systems. That approach might work for business. But education is not a business. It is a deeply relational, human-centered profession. We don’t develop “product.” We develop people.

To dismantle the Department of Education—without real evidence of benefit, without national dialogue, and under the pretense of efficiency—is absurd. This is not a leadership decision that should be made based on instinct or political gaming. This is a foundational issue tied to the future of our nation and the shared sense of belonging that every American experiences through the education system.

Every person in this country is impacted by education in one way or another. To eliminate the Department and push its functions to individual states is to invite chaos—50 different ways to “do schooling” in America. How irresponsible is that? Instead of uniting around a national strategy to strengthen public education and invest in young minds, we are being pulled into a fragmented vision that will lead to factions and fractures. Education is the one true lever this country has for remaining a global powerhouse—and this administration is blind to that fact in the name of “efficiency.”

If the Department is dismantled, the consequences will ripple outward:

• Federal funding for arts-integrated programs would dry up.
• School partnerships that support cultural programming could disappear.
• Students in underserved communities would lose access to creative, identity-affirming experiences.

This isn’t just about dollars—it’s about dignity. It’s about giving every child, regardless of ZIP code or background, the opportunity to grow through creativity, culture, and connection.

At PRAA, we believe that the arts are not extra—they are essential. They teach our young people to tell their stories, take pride in their roots, and imagine new possibilities. Eliminating the Department of Education would mean closing doors—just when we need to be opening more.

This is a critical moment. We must stand together as educators, artists, parents, and community leaders. Let’s support policies that protect public education, invest in the arts, and ensure all children have access to their full potential.

Because when we protect education, we protect opportunity, we protect ONE United States of America.