We must return to a place where the federal Government knows its place. The federal government, limited and restrained by the Constitution, was established to primarily handle national defense, foreign policy, and interstate commerce. Meanwhile, state governments were trusted to govern themselves and meet the day-to-day needs of their people. That balance—enshrined in the 10th Amendment—wasn’t an afterthought. It was the framework. And nowhere is the erosion of that framework more evident than in the realm of education.
For decades, states have taken federal dollars for education, believing they were simply accepting help. However, there is no such thing as free money from Washington. Every federal dollar comes with conditions—curriculum mandates, assessment requirements, and bureaucratic red tape that undermines local school control. The more states accept, the less control they have. And what have we received in return? A one-size-fits-all system that fails to reflect the values, cultures, and needs of local communities.
This is not only unwise—it’s unconstitutional.
The 10th Amendment is clear: powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved to the states and the people. Nowhere in our founding document does it mention education as a federal responsibility. It is for this reason that I fully support the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. Instead of improving educational outcomes for our nation’s students, this defunct department only complicated processes and stunted localized progress.
New Mexico’s children face different challenges than those in New York or Nebraska. Local leaders, school boards, and parents—not distant bureaucrats in D.C.—are best positioned to decide how their children should be educated. It’s no secret: we have an education crisis in New Mexico. We are the worst state in the union for educational outcomes as we, yet again, are at the bottom of the barrel for math and reading proficiency. My focus remains centered around commonsense proposals at the local and state level that truly benefit students and improve their educational outcomes. I am a staunch supporter of school choice, educational opportunities for disadvantaged students, performance accountability for teachers, and parental involvement and control.
If we truly want improved outcomes in education, we don’t need unnecessary federal involvement, especially if every federal dollar comes with strings attached. It’s simple: we need to restore common sense at the local level and start putting the needs of New Mexico students and their families first.
That’s how our system was designed—and it’s high time we returned to it.
Craig Brandt represents District 40 in the New Mexico State Senate, representing the heart of Rio Rancho since 2013.
