Leading through uncertainty: How PK-12 schools can prepare for a future without the Department of Education
“Change management” and “resiliency planning” are well-known terms in the business world. These tactics have been consistently deployed by school leaders, too — though they’re more like the quiet, dependable students in the middle of the classroom than the kids in the front row always raising their hands.
While educational leaders may not intuitively use the terms change management or resiliency planning, approaches based on strong communication and contingency planning have helped PK-12 schools respond to all kinds of unexpected changes, from the abrupt shifts of the COVID-19 pandemic to national tragedies to government shutdowns.
This moment — in which we await clarification on the potential closure of the U.S. Department of Education — calls for similar calm, confident, focused leadership in districts, schools and classrooms.
While legal challenges and congressional processes will determine the department’s fate, schools now have an opportunity to focus on what they can control. Thoughtful, transparent communication that addresses both facts and emotions will be essential. So will using data to demonstrate impact and justify funding needs, as well as developing adaptable scenario plans aligned with strategic goals.
Here, we summarize what we do and don’t know, and we offer some actions and approaches to help you fill in the gaps and lead with confidence.
What we know
The executive order “directs the Secretary of Education to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the states while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs and benefits on which Americans rely.”
However, the department cannot close with this executive order alone. Eliminating it would require action from Congress. Legal challenges are also certain; a coalition of educators, school districts and unions has already filed a lawsuit, and additional legal action is likely to follow.
While Congress established the Department of Education in its current form in 1979, the U.S. has had a cabinet-level governing agency for education in various forms since 1867. However, the majority of funding and policy governing American education already rests with state and local authorities. States receive only 10%-15% of their school funding from the federal government. While a potential ED closure will have an impact, it does not mean that all education activities will go away.
Guidance for impacted programs
Students with disabilities: About 15% of all public school students have some level of disability, ranging from severe physical or mental impairment to mild learning challenges. These 7.5 million public school students, as well as students with disabilities who attend private schools, are guaranteed equal access to education under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Equal access has been enforced by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which has already lost nearly 50% of its staff through federal workforce reductions.
While the administration has said it will continue supporting students with disabilities and plans to move oversight and funding to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), families remain concerned, particularly since the federal share of IDEA programs has never been fully funded since the law was enacted.
Schools with qualifying students should start planning now for how they can continue to serve these students if funding streams are disrupted. Administrators should start by determining the additional costs for each individual student’s supplementary services, which will help calculate how much the school will need to cover a potential funding pause.
Nutrition programs: Food distributed through K-12 schools, Head Start and Community Action programs aren’t limited to a free or reduced-price cafeteria lunch. Many schools provide breakfast, lunch, snacks and summertime meals, and eight states have chosen to offer these programs to all students without requiring families to prove financial need.
While the administration has committed to continuing these nutrition programs through HHS, many schools may be reluctant to budget the upfront funds if they need to reserve money for other programs.
School districts and states may want to connect with local food banks, grocery distributors or restaurants to explore creative partnerships. The states offering free universal nutrition programs might also consider ways to provide free food only to families in need, perhaps using technology to avoid openly identifying and stigmatizing low-income students.
Student loans: The Department of Education is also responsible for federal student loans, a function that the administration has proposed moving to the Small Business Association. For the PK-12 community, a key question is how a potential student loan program disruption could impact federally funded teacher loan forgiveness programs, which have helped ease the teacher shortage since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the meantime, schools should consider teacher recruitment as part of their long-term planning. Educators and administrators may want to brainstorm incentives or creative partnerships they could offer at the state and local levels to build talent pipelines.
Private schools will be affected too
While public schools will feel a greater impact from the loss of Title 1 and other formula-based funding, private schools will be affected, too. Students with disabilities attending private schools are also eligible for support under IDEA and Section 504. Many non-religious private schools participate in free school lunch programs. And school libraries, public and private, are often federally funded as a pass-through from states.
Alongside a potential lapse in funding from these programs, private schools should also prepare for enrollment increases. Historically, private school enrollments have increased during periods of public school instability, seen most recently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Everyone should prepare for a school choice model
Official White House statements surrounding the executive order also cite a long-term policy goal of moving to universal school choice. While such a large-scale realignment of the American educational system will take time and require action from Congress and the courts, all schools should consider this possibility as part of their contingency planning. A move to a voucher-based payment system could result in dramatic fluctuations in enrollment and funding, at least in the short term.
It would also require public schools to engage in marketing and community outreach. This is just one way in which public storytelling will likely become much more important for schools than it has in the past. While data and metrics have typically been reserved for year-end grant reporting, school “performance reviews” may now be public and ongoing. Schools should start putting systems in place to collect and analyze data and outcomes stories that will help them engage their communities.
Communication is critical
With so many unknowns — and likely an extended period of uncertainty — good communication will cover the gaps. Leaders should craft a change story that addresses loss by speaking to the head and the heart, and they should use that plan to be “out front,” communicating consistently and often.
Facts are critical, and there is an understandable tendency to focus just on facts or even misinterpret them. But leaders shouldn’t wait until they know all the answers before connecting with their communities, both internal and external. As we wait for information, messaging should speak to emotions, acknowledging the stress of uncertainty and honoring people’s concerns.
This is an ideal opportunity to show educators, administrators and board members that their work is valued. Tell them, “We believe in your work, and we know you’ve been acting in the best interests of students, families and communities.” Closures, cuts and policy changes understandably make people feel defensive, which threatens job retention.
As you communicate internally, beware of “initiative fatigue.” Consider how to cultivate a sense of agency and buy-in. Get teachers and community members involved in deciding how things will move forward and make communications bi-directional by asking questions and soliciting feedback.
After asking for input, be sure to close the loop at the end. Follow up to answer questions when you can and share the results of surveys and workshops. If you received suggestions you can’t implement, acknowledge that you heard the input and explain the complications. Transparency creates confidence in leadership.
Externally, it’s also a good time to step up your storytelling campaign. Use data and stories to talk about what you do every day and how that work impacts the community. In a time when you may soon be asking private organizations, nonprofits and voters to pay for critical services, now is the time to start demonstrating value.
Recommendations
As PK-12 educational leaders and administrators look to balance short term disruptions with long term strategic planning, there are four key areas to address.
1. Communications
Engage with administration, staff, teachers, caregivers and students on a consistent schedule. Tell them what you know, what you’re doing and how often you’ll update them.
2. Fiscal management
Audit your programs and cash flow to make sure you understand what’s funded from Department of Education-managed grants, what’s funded by state pass-throughs and what parts of your curriculum and extracurricular activities could be impacted by funding disruptions.
3. Strategy
Once you’ve outlined the possible program impacts, do some scenario planning. How do those scenarios affect what you have planned for this year, this summer and next year? What are your options to fill funding gaps? Do you have unrestricted funds that you can redeploy to affected initiatives? Could you partner with community organizations or do fundraising to diversify income sources? Montessori schools are a good model for this.
4. Board engagement
While public, private and charter schools have different governing structures, they all have a board of some sort. Board members are strong advocates, so keep everyone informed and engaged from the beginning, and ask them to take an active role in community outreach and storytelling.
How Wipfli can help
Your goals haven’t changed: You’re going to do the best you can for students and your community, every day, no matter what.
Our job is to support you. We can help you strengthen and align your administrative team, enhance strategic planning, navigate changing regulations and new challenges, explore funding diversification and stay compliant. Together, we’ll find effective ways to support students and staff.
Learn more about our change resiliency services for education leaders or contact us to discover more ways we can support your institution.
For continuous updates on administration policies impacting education, follow our policy updates page.
