Federal Policy

The Asian Pacific Islander School Board Association supports the Department of Education and strongly urges Congress and the President to retain the Department of Education.

 

Since its creation in 1979, the Department of Education has played a role in funding public schools, enforcing education laws, supporting students with disabilities, and overseeing higher education policies. The elimination of the Department does not mean the responsibilities it holds would disappear. Rather, these responsibilities would shift to states or other federal agencies with a disastrous harm to students and families. As an extensive number of Asian Americans have disabilities and are of low income, the termination of this Department negatively affects our community and all Americans.

 

Of particular concern is the elimination of the enforcement arm of the Department of Education. Reducing enforcement of Federal discrimination laws administered by the Department of Education negatively impacts Asian American Students throughout the United States of America. Without the threat of enforcement of the rule of law, the Anti-Asian hate that proliferated after Covid would go unchecked. Without the coordination of discrimination data across local and state boundaries, appropriate and effective strategies to combat racism will be hobbled. The American way is enabling all of us to succeed on the basis of merit. Deleting the Department of Education hobbles enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and weakens the fabric of our merit based nation. As education is a critical element of government at all levels the elimination of this department sends the wrong signal that education is not important to the future of this country-- Education is critical to our future and the fair administration of that is only possible through the Department of Education.

 

The Asian Pacific Islander School Board Association strongly urges the Administration to keep its eye on our future and retain the Department of Education.