The term “boondoggle” is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as “an unnecessary or wasteful project or activity.” By that definition, the Department of Education is a textbook example.

Created during the Carter administration in 1979, the DOE has spent over $1 trillion on the supposed goal of raising American students’ education standards to meet the competitive demands of a rapidly developing world and economy.

Or as the DOE’s mission statement puts it: “ED’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.”

Few people would object to that mission, so why is Donald Trump echoing the sentiments of many Republicans when he calls for shuttering the DOE? Is it because he and Republicans don’t care about Americans’ education? That’s what leftists imply or state explicitly when they pull out their collective hair over the suggestion.

However, Trump has good reason to dump the DOE, and it’s because he’s motivated to make America’s education system better.

The truth of the matter is that the DOE is not meeting its mission statement — not even close.

This is evidenced by students’ failing academic development. The latest Nation’s Report Card, released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), has found a disturbing trend: a growing number of students are falling behind.

The report from 2024 found that a whopping seven in 10 fourth graders are not proficient in reading, and 40% are “below basic” for reading comprehension. When it comes to math, six in 10 fourth graders are behind in math.

These grades are lower than 2022, which was lower than 2019, which was lower than 2013. To put things in perspective, the lowest performing eighth graders today are significantly behind the lowest performing eighth graders back in 1992, when the NAEP first began conducting its annual Nation’s Report Card.

In other words, the DOE has a record of decades of failure in meeting its mission, and yet gobs of taxpayer money has been spent pursuing what looks like a foolhardy crusade. Furthermore, these failing grades aren’t a symptom of insufficient funds, as no country spends more per student on education than the U.S.

This is why Trump says, as he did recently, “I’d like it to be closed immediately. The Department of Education’s a big con job.”

Indeed, this is why former DOE Secretary Betsy DeVos agrees with him, explaining, “The Department of Education does not run a single school. It does not employ any teachers in a single classroom. It doesn’t set academic standards or curriculum. It isn’t even the primary funder of education — quite the opposite. In most states, the federal government represents less than 10 percent of K–12 public education funding.”

She observes, “So what does it do? It shuffles money around; adds unnecessary requirements and political agendas via its grants; and then passes the buck when it comes time to assess if any of that adds value. … In other words, the Department of Education is functionally a middleman. And like most middlemen, it doesn’t add value. It merely adds cost and complexity.”

It’s time the DOE middleman was eliminated. It’s time for the Washington bureaucracy to stop meddling in American education. And both Trump and his pick for DOE secretary, Linda McMahon, see her role as working herself out of a job by virtually closing down a failing and costly agency.

Only Congress can eliminate the DOE, but as McMahon explained to lawmakers, “I will work with Congress to reorient the department to helping educators, not controlling them. Defunding is not the goal here.” The goal is dismantling.

Continuing to give the DOE a pass and funding would simply continue the practice of throwing good money after bad while expecting a different outcome. It’s the definition of insanity, and yet the federal government has been doing it for decades.

It’s time to end the DOE boondoggle. America’s students will be better for it.