We should've reformed the U.S. Department of Education(like we've been begging for years) to better serve states by reinvesting federal tax dollars into education, following the lead of the highest-ranking countries in education: we should provide higher teacher compensation like Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Norway do, paying teachers up to $137,000, $103,000, not the U.S.’s $44,000 for new teachers; we should increase overall education funding like Norway, Luxembourg, and Denmark do, spending up to $22,000 per pupil and meeting the UNESCO 15% standard, not the U.S.’s $17,700 and 12.7%; we should make robust investments in programs and resources like Finland, Japan, and Canada do, funding early childhood, special education, and STEM, not underfunding programs like Title I; we should implement standardized and coherent curricula like Finland and Japan do, ensuring consistency, not the U.S.’s fragmented state-level standards; we should prioritize strong teacher training and professional development like Finland and Singapore do, requiring extensive training, not the U.S.’s inconsistent support; we should ensure equitable access and inclusion like Canada and Sweden do, funding all schools equally, not struggling with gaps like the U.S.; and we should focus on early childhood education like France and Denmark do, enrolling over 90% of 3-5-year-olds, not the U.S.’s 65%. States deserve these federal funds(about 11% of K-12 revenue, per NCES) to address critical needs, but we’ve been fighting for these things for YEARS, and the only solution the government provides instead of doing those things is to destroy the whole department, which is the worst possible option.