GOP candidates in 11th District differ on Trump’s efforts to dismantle Education Dept.

While one of the Republicans running for Illinois’ 11th Congressional District seat said Wednesday that he backs President Donald Trump’s domestic and foreign policies across the board, another disagreed with the administration’s ongoing efforts to dismantle the U.S. Education Department.

The cabinet-level department should remain, candidate Jeff Walter said, because national educational standards are needed.

But GOP rival Michael Pierce of Naperville supports Trump’s plan to scrap the department, which long has been a target of conservatives.

Pierce and Walter spoke about education, immigration and other issues facing the nation in a joint video interview with the Daily Herald. Fellow candidate Charlie Kim of Aurora was invited but didn’t participate; Tedora Brown, a Palos Park resident who is fighting the Illinois State Board of Elections’ decision not to certify her as a candidate, also chose not to attend.

The winner of the March 17 Republican primary will face Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster of Naperville in November’s general election. Foster is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Founded in 1979, the Education Department’s main functions have included establishing federal financial aid policies and distributing such funds; collecting data on American schools; and prohibiting discrimination in education.

Breaking up the department was a campaign promise for Trump, who has criticized it as wasteful and polluted by “woke” ideology. A month into his second term, Trump signed an executive order calling for its dismantling — although completing that task likely won’t be possible without congressional action.

Walter, who is in his third term as Elburn’s mayor, insisted the department shouldn’t be eliminated. Too many high school graduates don’t have basic skills, he said, and the U.S. workforce needs to be better educated.

However, “serious reform” is needed, said Walter, a retired information technology consultant and U.S. Navy veteran. He said the department “needs to get out of the money business” and stop managing student loan programs. Some education department functions can be handled by the U.S. Commerce Department or other agencies, he said.

Pierce, a U.S. Army veteran making his first bid for elected office, said he agrees with Trump’s desire to shut down the department. He also agrees with Trump’s tariffs on imported goods and the president’s foreign policy stances.

“Policywise, I don’t have an area where I disagree with the president,” Pierce said.

The 11th District encompasses portions of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, DeKalb and Boone counties. A recording of Wednesday’s discussion will be available at dailyherald.com.