Show 0 rt rtH It H Seems To Me Meny MeEly By ny Joseph H. H Roberts New Department of Education Look for a donnybrook to grow out of President Carters Carter's plan to create a new Department of Education and take it out of the domain of the mammoth unmanageable Department of Health Education and Welfare HEW Every group that believes it has a vested interest in the hundreds of federal education programs now being funded by Uncle Sam will be in their swinging Some believe a new Department will give them a chance to get a larger slice of the pie and they will be shouting Yes at every turn Others want to preserve the status quo feeling they are well ensconced with what they have now so they will be objecting mightily and predicting dire consequences if any changes are made If I had any doubts about the issue I think a glance at some of the groups opposing the change would convince me to be for it I note for example that the American Federation of Teachers a teachers teacher's teachers union union that t seems seems to oppose anything that might promote quality education in our public schools is dead set against it There are also some 40 different agencies within the federal government that now have the programs money and power that go along with federal support of education who are of course opposed There are lobbyists for various groups who for their own reasons are fighting to keep the status quo And there are naturally some officials within HEW who are opposed to the change My reasons for supporting the reorganization however are based on something more than my suspicion of the motives o of those who oppose it I l could be equally suspicious of the motives of those thos who who support support it I believe as most everyone agrees who has considered the issue that HEW is too big too diversified in its interest and activities to give education the attention it deserves U Under er a new level cabinet-level Secretary the problems of education could be dealt with full time and the money Congress appropriates for the Department could be spent on education Under the present set up whenever HEW finds it necessary to tomake tomake tomake make budget cuts education is the first to feel the pinch Granted there are dangers in setting up another addition to the bloated bureaucracy which is already a threat to our life liberty and pursuit of hap hap- But if it Carter pays attention to the reorganization he will not let the new Department simply be more bureaucrats more money moner and a d more ore power added to what's already there He will see to it that when the hundreds of education programs scattered about the govern government are gathered up and put under one Department the personnel personnel personnel per per- money and power associated with these programs will go with them In other words it will be strictly a reorganization not an expansion Certainly there should not be any problem with taking the big E out of HEW The people funds and programs dealing with education are identifiable and separate There is some risk I suppose Insetting in insetting insetting setting up a Department of Education that may take upon itself more officiousness officiousness of of- s in its dealings with local school problems than the sprawling HEWS has had time for such as imposing imposing imposing im im- im- im posing standards for hiring teachers I testing students selecting textbooks and planning curricula It all depends on whom Carter selects for the cabinet post and what guidelines he is given I would think an educator who understands the problems of local schools and who is dedicated to improving improving im im- im proving the quality of education without unduly meddling in the affairs of school administration would be DC a refreshing change from the present situation Certainly HEWs HEW's concern for social programs takes precedence over any concerns for education the relatively powerless Assistant Secretary of Education and the Commissioner of Education c can n muster The gains to be act achieved eved by public education in the reorganization seem well worth any risks involved After all any change that takes education out from under the thumb of Joseph Califano Califon Jr h has tr to he be an improvement |