DOGE Education Budget Cuts Exaggerated, Experts Say

DOGE education budget cuts face scrutiny as experts dispute the claimed $881M savings, arguing actual reductions are much lower.

False Cost-Cutting Statistics

According to DOGE, which is run by tech billionaire Elon Musk, 89 research contracts were canceled, reportedly saving $881 million. But according to a recent estimate by the leftist research group New America, the real savings only come to $278 million. The disparity exists because the government already spent nearly $400 million on these agreements and will need to rebid many, increasing costs.

Experts Criticize DOGE’s Approach

Nat Malkus, a researcher at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, criticized DOGE’s approach, calling the savings estimate “an arbitrary mishmash that doesn’t hold water.” Antoinette Flores from New America echoed this sentiment, stating that researchers cannot simply undo much of the work, leaving important education studies incomplete and wasted.

Influence on Research in Education

The DOGE Education Budget Cuts have severely impacted the Institute of Education Sciences, the Education Department’s research division. Experts caution that removing research on educational policies puts decision-makers in the dark and will have an impact for years to come. Former education secretary Margaret Spellings criticized the decision, noting that the educational system lacks transparency without accountability and research.

The White House defends DOGE’s conduct.

The White House responded to the criticism by stating that DOGE’s calculations include both “ceiling” and “savings” figures from the terminated contracts. Meanwhile, the Education Department defended the move, arguing that education research has not significantly improved student outcomes over the last two decades.

Education Policy’s Future

Concerns over the future of education research and policymaking are raised by the reduction. Despite DOGE’s insistence on cutting government waste, some contend that doing away with necessary research is a bad idea.

Source: USA Today