Sturgis-Coldwater News

Senator Jonathan Lindsey of Coldwater, Michigan, has expressed his support for President Donald Trump's recent executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. In a statement released from Lansing, Lindsey outlined his concerns regarding the state of the national education system since the department's establishment in 1979.

Lindsey pointed to declining literacy and math proficiency rates as evidence of systemic failure. "Since the inception of the Department of Education in 1979, we have seen a dramatic downturn in our national school systems," he stated. He highlighted that during the COVID-19 lockdowns, many young students missed crucial educational opportunities. According to him, recent assessments revealed only 30% of fourth graders achieved proficiency in reading literacy in 2024, with mathematics proficiency also dropping to 39%.

The senator criticized the department for not adequately addressing these educational challenges and instead focusing on initiatives he described as misaligned with core educational goals. "The Department of Education has failed to address key issues stemming from restricting students from classrooms," Lindsey said.

He further argued that federal priorities have shifted away from traditional educational standards towards gender ideology and other areas that he believes do not address fundamental educational needs. "After suffering the greatest educational challenge of our time, the federal bureaucracy has failed our children," Lindsey commented.

Advocating for more parental control over education funding, Lindsey emphasized returning authority to states as a means to improve education quality nationwide. "I believe it is time to return to our previous standard in education," he concluded.

Lindsey supports Trump's initiative as a step towards reviving what he describes as a 'golden age' of American education by decentralizing control and enhancing state responsibility.