The American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA) supports a strong, cabinet-level Secretary of Education, a fully staffed U.S. Department of Education, and robust federal programs that serve disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and the educators and school leaders who support them.
AFSA expressed concerns when the Department of Education shifted administration of many education programs to other federal agencies through Interagency Agreements (IAAs). We questioned whether agencies without the Department’s expertise and capacity could effectively administer federal education programs, ensure federal resources reach schools and students in a timely manner, and provide the coordinated oversight that states, school districts, and educators rely on.
The House Education and Workforce Committee’s “Less Bureaucracy, Better Education” legislative package goes much further. Rather than simply codifying the IAAs, these bills would permanently transfer nearly all federal K–12 education responsibilities from the Secretary of Education to the Secretary of Labor, effectively eliminating the Secretary of Education’s authority over nearly all K–12 programs and dismantling the Department of Education’s role as the federal government’s central authority for elementary and secondary education. Unlike the current IAAs, which can be modified by future administrations, these changes would be written into law.
Despite its stated goal of reducing bureaucracy, this legislation could have the opposite effect. By decentralizing federal education responsibilities across multiple agencies, it risks replacing a single, coordinated Department of Education with a fragmented system that requires states, school districts, and educators to navigate multiple agencies with different rules, priorities, and expertise. Rather than streamlining government, this approach could increase administrative complexity, reduce accountability, make it more difficult to coordinate services and technical assistance, and delay the delivery of federal resources and support to students, educators, and school leaders.
The legislation also appears to lock in the Department’s 2025 workforce reductions by prohibiting any net increase in staffing across the affected agencies, raising additional concerns about the federal government’s ability to administer these programs effectively. At the same time, it would further fragment responsibility for federal education policy, funding, and civil rights oversight—functions that are most effective when coordinated through a single federal agency.
AFSA supports efforts to improve efficiency, eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy, and ensure taxpayer dollars are used wisely. However, efficiency should not come at the expense of effective governance. A strong Department of Education provides a single point of accountability for federal education policy, funding, civil rights enforcement, and support for schools. Congress should not permanently restructure federal education programs without clear evidence that these changes will improve services, efficiency, or outcomes for students.
Replacing one accountable Department of Education with multiple agencies is not streamlining government, it risks creating a more fragmented bureaucracy, increasing administrative burdens for states and school districts, weakening accountability, and undermining the very programs Congress intends to strengthen.
For these reasons, AFSA strongly opposes the House’s “Less Bureaucracy, Better Education” legislative package.
