The US Department of Education should have been abolished years ago. Once upon a time, GOP candidates pledged to do just that. But now the Party is happy to use the Department to provide photo ops for the politicians appointed as the Sec. of Education.
Earlier today, US Sec. of Education Betsy DeVos visited Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the site of last month’s shooting.
What is accomplished by visits such as this?
They offer an easy way for administration personnel to get some media coverage and push the administration’s positions. They offer a way to stroke the egos of the cabinet members involved who can use these trips to get more attention for themselves. The trips allow federal officials to feel like they’re doing something useful. All of this is done at taxpayer expense, of course — the transportation, the security, and the staff involved don’t work for free.
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But, as with education in general, the federal government should have no role in the issues surrounding school shootings in general, or security at Florida schools in particular. There are no insights that DeVos can offer. She has no special knowledge of the relevant events, or any training at all in security matters. And, even if she did have some especially useful knowledge in this matter, she could just as easily share it over the phone.
DeVos’s visit only helps to perpetuate the idea that the federal government should be involved in every matter under the sun, and that state and local officials should look to the federal government to solve their problems.
Given that the Federal government is deeply in debt, and has no constitutional authorization to meddle in local education matters, it’s hard to see what “solutions” can be offered from Washington, DC. After all, Florida has an economy larger than both the Netherlands and Switzerland, and thus should look to itself to address any issues related to schooling and security.
DeVos’s visit should be seen as what it is: a political campaign stop which only further sends the message that there is nothing that’s beyond the reach of federal policy.
