Great news this Christmas: A group of intrepid Georgia high schoolers was recently nominated in five categories at a global science competition in Paris, proving that American K-12 students can compete with the brightest students in the world. Yet this left some wondering: Why don’t we have more examples of world-class achievement?

And are the Trump administration’s efforts to close the U.S. Department of Education going to widen the gap between students in America and other countries?

Students from Lambert High School, located an hour north of Atlanta, have developed a method to detect Lyme disease earlier than existing tests. Earlier detection means earlier treatment, which can save those infected from potentially long-lasting neurological issues.

As reported by “60 Minutes,” the students submitted their discovery to the international science competition known as iGEM and were the only team from the United States to finish in the top 10. This is an exciting development for Lambert and doctors treating Lyme disease, but America managed to send just 14 teams to iGEM, while countries in Asia sent 120.

What parents and teachers should be asking

For years, researchers have lamented the poor results from traditional schools in America. Reading and math scores are at or near historical lows today, while taxpayer spending is at an all-time high.

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The right question for parents and teachers is not whether we should be worried about education (yes, we should), but what can be done to help more students succeed?

In Louisiana and Mississippi, reading scores have accelerated in recent years thanks to state-based policies such as only allowing students to move from third grade to fourth grade when they can demonstrate proficiency in reading. 

This sounds simple, but young people cannot apply for a job, complete a college application or even understand news headlines if they do not grasp this fundamental skill early in life. Lawmakers in dozens of states have adopted “science of reading” policies that employ phonics and other research-based methods (math and science instruction have yet to see such meaningful, widespread improvement).

Policies issued from the Department of Education may have helped Americans track average student test scores over the years, but the department’s initiatives have never been able to improve and sustain student success.

Is the U.S. Department of Education necessary?

The Education Department administers numerous programs—for afterschool activities, teacher recruitment and professional development—and services for children in low-income areas, but congressional researchers have found that it costs state policymakers hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars just to complete the required federal paperwork.

Notably, the Lambert High lab that sent students to iGEM was funded by local taxpayers and corporations, according to “60 Minutes.”

Teachers don’t want Washington micromanaging classrooms anyway. As was recently demonstrated during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, local schools did not need the Education Department for classrooms to open, teachers to assign homework and students to get on the bus each day.

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Turns out, closing the Education Department will give teachers and parents more autonomy over classrooms. Federal spending accounts for less than 10% of the amount of taxpayer money appropriated to each student, though it comes with millions in manhours dedicated to completing forms.

Even as reforms to reading achievement move steadily across states, some children will need more than what an assigned public school has to offer. Fortunately, lawmakers in 19 states now allow all parents and students in their state to apply for education savings accounts and account-style options to choose how and where a child learns. Parents can use these bank-account-style scholarships to pay for education products and services such as tuition, textbooks, tutoring and more.

This is what our students need—opportunities to be challenged, help catching up to their peers, a chance to focus on key skills. Hundreds of thousands of students are using accounts such as these.

From science and technology-focused programs in Florida to hybrid schools allowing students to work at home part of the week in Arizona, great learning options are out there.

The Education Department in Washington produces bureaucracy, not examples of success like the students from Lambert High. Parent empowerment, along with learning innovations developed outside of the federal government, are the future.