There’s something happening in public education that should have everyone’s attention—especially parents, teachers, and anyone who cares about democracy. In a move that would have been unthinkable a few decades ago, the Supreme Court recently cleared the way for the current administration to begin dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. While not officially dissolved, the department is now on shaky ground, with federal oversight and funding threatened like never before.
For many, this is being sold as a victory for “parental rights” and “state control.” But dig a little deeper, and the true story comes into focus. What we’re witnessing is part of a long campaign rooted in racial segregation, religious nationalism, and even the abortion debate. This is not a random policy shift. It’s the continuation of an ideological battle that began more than half a century ago—and it has profound consequences for low- and middle-income families.
A Brief History: The Segregation Backlash and the Birth of the Religious Right
To understand what’s happening today, we have to rewind to the 1950s and 60s. After Brown v. Board of Education declared school segregation unconstitutional, many white families in the South refused to integrate. Instead, they founded “segregation academies”—private, mostly religious schools that allowed them to sidestep the law. These schools were often supported by local churches and protected by a growing conservative movement.
Fast-forward to the 1970s, and the federal government began cracking down on these institutions. One key moment: the IRS threatened to revoke tax-exempt status from private schools that practiced racial discrimination. This action set off alarm bells among religious leaders, particularly evangelical Christians who had invested heavily in these schools.
Here’s where it gets interesting: those leaders didn’t want to publicly defend racial segregation. So instead, they rallied around a different issue: abortion. Though Roe v. Wade had already been decided in 1973, abortion hadn’t yet become the evangelical cause it is today. But by the late 1970s, it was rebranded as a moral crisis, giving religious conservatives a unifying banner to wave.
As historian Randall Balmer has pointed out, it wasn’t abortion that originally galvanized the Religious Right. It was desegregation. Abortion became the public face, but the core mission was always cultural control.
The Department of Education: A Symbol of Federal Equality
Created in 1979, the Department of Education was part of a broader effort to level the playing field. It ensured federal funding for low-income schools, enforced civil rights laws in education, and supported students with disabilities and English learners.
But from day one, it had a target on its back. Ronald Reagan ran on abolishing it. Newt Gingrich tried in the ’90s. And under the Trump administration, Secretary Betsy DeVos chipped away at its foundations. Now, with the Supreme Court’s decision, the door is open to strip the department of its power entirely.
This is not just an administrative change. It’s a massive shift that threatens to undo decades of progress toward educational equity.
The New Playbook: “School Choice” and State Control
The push to dismantle the Department of Education is often disguised as a push for “school choice.”
Who doesn’t like choice, right? It sounds empowering. But the truth is more complicated. When public funds are funneled to private and charter schools, public schools are left to starve. Wealthier families can navigate the system, but low-income and rural communities are left behind. Public education, once a great equalizer, becomes a tiered system of haves and have-nots.
Private schools can pick and choose their students. They can exclude kids based on disability, behavior, religion, or even family background. And in many cases, they are not held to the same standards or accountability measures. This creates a situation where public schools serve as a safety net, absorbing all the challenges without the resources.
This isn’t school choice. It’s school abandonment.
Connecting the Dots: From Education to Abortion
So how does abortion tie into all this?
It goes back to the movement that formed around the idea of “saving” America from cultural decline. The same groups that opposed desegregation and embraced private religious education also took up the banner of ending abortion. Over time, these causes became two sides of the same coin: fighting for a vision of America that upholds traditional hierarchies—racial, religious, and gender-based.
In that vision, public education is a threat. It exposes students to diverse ideas. It teaches critical thinking. It empowers young people to question authority and injustice. And yes, it often includes comprehensive sex education and lessons about bodily autonomy—things that directly challenge authoritarian religious views.
That’s why the fight against public education and the fight against abortion rights often walk hand-in-hand. They’re both about controlling narratives, bodies, and futures.
Who Suffers the Most?
Let’s not sugarcoat it. If the Department of Education is gutted, low- and middle-income families will suffer the most.
Rural schools could see huge drops in funding.
Urban districts might face overcrowding, crumbling infrastructure, and teacher shortages.
Special education services could be scaled back or eliminated.
Civil rights protections for students could vanish.
Meanwhile, wealthier families will do what they always do: pay for quality privately. They will hire tutors, join co-ops, or relocate to well-funded districts. The education gap—already wide—will become a chasm.
This isn’t just unfair. It’s un-American.
How Do We Fight Back?
Name the strategy. Don’t let political slogans fool you. “School choice” is often a way to defund public schools.
Support public education. Attend school board meetings. Donate supplies. Vote for candidates who believe in strong, equitable schools.
Protect federal oversight. Contact your representatives and urge them to strengthen, not weaken, the Department of Education.
Connect the issues. Understand how abortion rights, racial equity, and education policy are all linked in this political agenda.
Speak up. This is a cultural battle as much as a political one. Don’t stay silent while schools and freedoms are stripped away.
Conclusion: Education Is a Civil Right
The push to dismantle the Department of Education is not about efficiency or liberty. It’s about power. It’s about rolling back the gains made since the civil rights era. And it’s being carried out under the same banners that once opposed school integration and now oppose reproductive freedom.
This is a fight for the soul of our country. Public education is one of the few places where Americans from all backgrounds come together. It’s where kids learn not just reading and math, but how to live in a diverse, democratic society.
If we allow it to be hollowed out—or worse, sold off to the highest bidder—we lose more than classrooms. We lose community. We lose equality. We lose the future.
Let’s not let that happen. Not on our watch.
Want to stay informed? Subscribe to the website and get updates, tools, and strategies delivered weekly to your inbox.
Because when the noise gets louder, we cut through it.
This blog post was created with the assistance of ChatGPT.