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Sen. Mike Lee urges shifting education decisions to states, cites son’s IEP
Summary
Sen. Mike Lee said returning more education funding and authority to states would help underfunded communities and special-education students, and described his family’s experience securing an individualized education program for his 9-year-old son.
Sen. Mike Lee (United States Senate) said in remarks recorded in the meeting transcript that more education decisions and resources should be returned to states, citing Title I funding and his family’s experience with special education.
Lee said Utah "hits above their weight in academic outcomes" and argued that shifting authority would let states better fund schools in struggling communities and meet special-education needs. "Why would you dismantle the Department of Education? I wanna make sure and I do my part," he said, adding he has spoken about the issue with many constituents.
Lee described his 9-year-old son, a third-grader on an individualized education program (IEP), as the immediate reason he takes the issue personally. "My son is on an IEP. He's a 9 year old in a third grade. He is on a specialized education plan that that that that meets his needs," Lee said. He praised "the attention that our teachers and local administrators, PTA have put into this" and said the child reads above grade level in some areas while struggling in others. "He's on this autism spectrum," Lee said.
Lee said his family’s experience shows the importance of local decision-making and targeted resources. "If we can move as much of that resource back into the decision maker's hands, like, we're gonna have success here," he said, adding he expects states to use the flexibility to fund schools in tougher communities and special-education services.
He also referenced federal programs and requirements connected to postsecondary aid and student loans, mentioning FAFSA in the transcript as part of the federal responsibilities he said should continue to be fulfilled.
The remarks were framed as advocacy rather than a formal proposal: Lee said he welcomed debate and wants to be involved as Congress considers changes to education funding and authority. He did not cite specific legislation that would transfer authority or detail the timing or mechanism for such a shift.
