The Trump administration is making good on its promise to return control of education to the states, granting a record 18 Ed-Flex waivers, allowing states discretion in how they use federal funds.
The waivers release states from “rigid spending caps” on academic enrichment money and other federal requirements. The Department of Education, which announced the exemptions, also sent a letter to state education departments encouraging them to transfer funds between eligible programs and allow small, rural school districts to use certain federal funds more freely.
The additional flexibility “marks another bold step forward in strengthening states’ ability to fully harness the flexibilities already at their fingertips in support of better serving students, families, educators, and communities,” said Kirsten Baesler, assistant secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.
“With a record 18 states now taking advantage of Ed-Flex authority, we urge state leaders to build on this momentum by adopting forward-leaning strategies that move decision-making closer to the classroom and elevate the power of local leadership,” Baesler added.
Since resuming office, President Donald Trump has pushed to return education authority to the states and dismantle the federal Education Department, which was created under President Jimmy Carter and largely viewed as a gift to teachers’ unions.
