Leavitt: ‘The Department of Education Will Be Much Smaller than It Is Today’

Reporter 1 Karoline what ░░░░░░░░ you say to critics ░░░░░░░░ the president s education ░░░░░░░░ LEAVITT Where was their ░░░░░░░░ of our nation s ░░░░░░░░ test scores for the ░░░░░░░░ several decades The Department ░░░░░░░░ Education was founded in ░░░░░░░░ 1970s and since then ░░░░░░░░ have spent more than ░░░░░░░░ trillion at this federal ░░░░░░░░ What has been the ░░░░░░░░ on that investment for ░░░░░░░░ American taxpayer Levels that ░░░░░░░░ less than ideal less ░░░░░░░░ proficient Our children s ░░░░░░░░ scores are incredibly concerning ░░░░░░░░ it comes to reading ░░░░░░░░ literacy rates math and ░░░░░░░░ test scores The numbers ░░░░░░░░ that And the president ░░░░░░░░ finally this president is ░░░░░░░░ taking much needed action ░░░░░░░░ return education to where ░░░░░░░░ belongs and that s ░░░░░░░░ educators closest to students ░░░░░░░░ their classrooms in their ░░░░░░░░ states We re going ░░░░░░░░ have a great event ░░░░░░░░ later at 4 00 ░░░░░░░░ will be students here ░░░░░░░░ here parents here educators ░░░░░░░░ of course governors from ░░░░░░░░ the country who are ░░░░░░░░ excited about taking on ░░░░░░░░ responsibility to educate our ░░░░░░░░ s students Reporter 1 ░░░░░░░░ s going to run ░░░░░░░░ student loans LEAVITT So ░░░░░░░░ Department of Education will ░░░░░░░░ much smaller than it ░░░░░░░░ today As you know ░░░░░░░░ president s executive order ░░░░░░░░ Linda McMahon to greatly ░░░░░░░░ the agency so when ░░░░░░░░ comes to student loans ░░░░░░░░ Pell Grants those will ░░░░░░░░ be run out of ░░░░░░░░ Department of Education but ░░░░░░░░ don t need to ░░░░░░░░ spending more than 3 ░░░░░░░░ over the course of ░░░░░░░░ few decades on a ░░░░░░░░ that s clearly failing ░░░░░░░░ its initial intention to ░░░░░░░░ our students Reporter 1 ░░░░░░░░ is the federal government ░░░░░░░░ to be spending less ░░░░░░░░ Reporter 2 You said ░░░░░░░░ is going to be ░░░░░░░░ smaller than it is ░░░░░░░░ Mm hmm Reporter 2 ░░░░░░░░ it not going to ░░░░░░░░ shut down completely And ░░░░░░░░ I have a second ░░░░░░░░ LEAVITT As I said ░░░░░░░░ Grants and student loans ░░░░░░░░ still be run out ░░░░░░░░ the department in Washington ░░░░░░░░ C but the great ░░░░░░░░ of education educating our ░░░░░░░░ s students will return ░░░░░░░░ the states Reporter 2 ░░░░░░░░ the Department of Education ░░░░░░░░ a critical role in ░░░░░░░░ civil rights laws that ░░░░░░░░ discrimination Who s going ░░░░░░░░ do that now LEAVITT ░░░░░░░░ critical functions of the ░░░░░░░░ such as that will ░░░░░░░░ but again we re ░░░░░░░░ reducing the scale and ░░░░░░░░ size of this department.”