Warwick, RI – Rhode Island Republican Party Chairman Joe Powers strongly supports President Donald J. Trump’s executive order to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. This bold and necessary move is long overdue. For decades, the federal government has poured billions of dollars into a system that continues to deliver diminishing returns for America’s students.
Despite the Department’s ballooning budget—growing from $14 billion in 1979 to nearly $270 billion in 2024—student performance continues to decline. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), reading scores for 13-year-olds dropped across all performance levels from 2020 to 2023, with declines of up to 7 points. Math scores fell even more dramatically, especially among lower-performing students, with losses ranging from 6 to 14 points. These numbers are not just disappointing—they are unacceptable.
“We’ve seen what happens when Washington bureaucrats try to micromanage education from afar: test scores drop, student engagement plummets, and parents are left with no voice”, Chairman Powers stated, “President Trump’s move to eliminate the Department of Education is not just symbolic—it’s a substantive shift toward empowering states, communities, and most importantly, parents. It’s time to raise the waterline of education in America.”
By restoring control to the states, we unlock the ability to tailor educational strategies to local needs—something Rhode Island, and every other state, can and should embrace. “Let’s be clear—proper funding for our schools isn’t going anywhere,” Chairman Joe Powers said. “We encourage Rhode Islanders to do their research and stop buying into the fearmongering from life-long politicians trying to score points, bureaucrats looking to line their pockets, or TV talking heads chasing likes and reposts. This is about smarter education, not less education.” Our children deserve an education system that works for them, not for federal agencies and entrenched special interests.
“This executive order is a much-needed course correction that puts students ahead of bureaucracy and excellence above mediocrity.” Powers continues, “Those who rally against this necessary shift prove that they themselves need a proper education and are probably victims of the very system that has failed since day one.”
The Rhode Island Republican Party proudly supports President Trump’s vision for a smarter, leaner, and more effective approach to educating the next generation of Americans.
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