Linda MacMahon cuts red tape as Iowa joins effort to return education to states
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A FIRST ON FOX—The Department of Education wants to continue cutting red tape after Iowa became the first state to add returning education to the state’s initiative.
The department announced Wednesday that it has approved Iowa’s Education Fallback Waiver to States, a new process that allows states to reduce their administrative burden to use federal money as they see fit.
“If I thought I had a student who was failing in a public school or that the funding wasn’t improving my students’ ability to succeed in their classes, I would be jumping up and down on approval,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon told Fox News Digital in an interview.
“I would jump up and down and clap my hands and say thank you Governor [Kim] “I thank Reynolds for pursuing this additional money, which will go directly toward the performance of our students, and as a parent, I am very happy that my governor has taken this action,” she added.
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The Department of Education continues to cut red tape after the first state added returnee education to its state initiative. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
McMahon told Fox News Digital that the effort supports President Donald Trump’s vision of returning education to the states by minimizing the Department of Education’s role in education in each state.
“My oath of allegiance to the President and his directive is to return education to the states and to place the responsibility for educating students in each state in the hands of the governors, superintendents and superintendents, local communities and parents in those states,” McMahon said.
“We’re moving down that path by looking for ways that we can first distribute the funds directly to the states and give them the ability to waive some federal grants so they can start that process, and that’s exactly what Iowa is asking us to do under the waiver,” McMahon continued.
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US Department of Education. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
The Ministry of National Education sent it to the states A letter last July encouraging them to apply for waivers to give state education officials more discretion with federal dollars and reduce compliance costs.
“The waiver process could give state leaders more discretion over federal programs so they can fund options that best meet students’ needs without bureaucratic red tape,” the department’s letter said.
Iowa is now allowed to combine four federal funding streams into a single source, allowing it to cut compliance costs in half.
“Iowa leaders estimate that the flexibility of this waiver will cut compliance costs in half and allow approximately $8 million to be redirected from bureaucratic red tape to classrooms,” the department said.
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McMahon praised Reynolds’ decision to direct federal dollars directly to students after they are often gobbled up by compliance costs, a burden imposed on states by the federal government.
“He fully understood the President’s determination to return education to the states, and he was one of those governors who made it clear that he didn’t see much benefit in having a Department of Education,” McMahon said.
Linda McMahon praised Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ decision to transfer federal dollars gobbled up by compliance costs, a burden often imposed on states by the Department of Education, directly to students. (istock)
“It was really about the funding flowing into the state. And being able to spend that money within the law, but without a lot of compliance with the legislation that the Department of Education puts in place.”
McMahon has previously stated that the department is merely a “choice point” for federal funding, rather than controlling the curriculum as others often expect.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reyonds praised McMahon and said the savings would help support education in the state.
“The flexibility to leverage federal education resources to further advance state priorities is an incredible opportunity, and that is why I am motivated to be the first state in the nation to demonstrate the value of this shift,” he said. “Secretary McMahon understands that innovation cannot happen in our classrooms if the resources we need are marred by bureaucratic processes. Bringing nearly $8 million of resources into our classrooms will further strengthen Iowa’s teacher pipeline, expand evidence-based teaching, and narrow achievement gaps.”
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