After nearly 50 years working in rural schools, I’ve learned this: when a system is already stretched thin, you don’t tear it apart and hope it works better.

But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is attempting by breaking up the U.S. Department of Education and scattering its responsibilities across several federal agencies.

This is being advertised as “streamlining.” Anyone who has ever worked in a school — or run a ranch or small business — knows better. Moving people, authority and money across multiple agencies does not simplify anything. It creates chaos.

Under the plan, the Department of Labor would take over K–12 programs, Interior would run Indian Education, HHS would handle child-care programs, the State Department would manage international education and student loa

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