President Carter’s education legacy: A history lesson

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Like most former students, I remember sitting in history class, listening somewhat begrudgingly as an earnest teacher reminded us that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And like most former educators, with the benefit of hindsight after nearly a decade teaching in classrooms of my own, I’ve come to appreciate that the saying is ubiquitous for a reason.

This week, as our nation has honored the legacy of President Jimmy Carter, I’ve been inspired to reflect on — and called to learn from — the transformative mark he made on education in America.

President Carter’s legacy is profound for his leadership on the global stage and his enduring commitment to ensuring every child has access to quality education. It was under his administration in 1979 that the U.S. Department of Education was established — a landmark moment that underscored the federal government’s critical role in supporting states, districts and schools in their mission to educate our nation’s children.

As a child, a young Jimmy Carter witnessed visceral inequities in education firsthand. This experience eventually informed Carter’s political career, where his belief in opportunity and education was evident from his first election to a local school board all the way to his tenure in the White House.

Carter was the first president to mention one of his teachers in an inaugural speech. In his 1977 address, Carter thanked Julia Coleman, his favorite teacher from Plains High School, for assigning Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” from which the president drew lifelong inspiration about how the fate of nations should be determined by their people.

Once in office, Carter converted inspiration to action. Resolute in his conviction that education is our most important national investment, he directed his administration to study what programs could be brought together in a federal Department of Education to better serve schools and students. By 1979, 267 education-related programs across 24 federal agencies were identified.

Later that same year, in a bipartisan vote, Congress established the new Cabinet-level agency. The legislation dictated that the Department of Education would “strengthen the Federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual.”

Upon signing the law, Carter said, “Every citizen has a vital, personal stake in this investment. Our ability to advance both economically and technologically, our country’s entire intellectual and cultural life, depend on the success of our great educational enterprise.”

In my estimation, Carter’s words still ring true, and as we honor his legacy we find ourselves at a crossroads.

Carter’s vision for strong state and federal partnerships, executed through a centralized, efficient and effective federal Department of Education, was not just about policy. It was about people. It was about every student who deserves to dream big and every teacher who helps them reach their full potential.

The state of Minnesota shares the values that guided Carter’s vision for education: access and opportunity for all learners, no matter their race or ZIP code.

Our partnership with the U.S. Department of Education has been vital in everything from advancing special education to narrowing achievement gaps. It reflects a commitment that transcends political divides — the belief that quality education is a public good deserving of collective investment, and that investing in kids pays off.

Our work is accomplished by dedicated public servants and rooted in the conviction that education transforms lives and builds resilient communities. We are steadfast in our mission to make Minnesota the best state in the country for kids and families, where the public education system is thoughtfully designed to afford every student the opportunity to receive a world-class education.

So, in honoring Carter’s memory, we also honor the work ahead. It is work that calls us to be united, to be resolute and to be courageous in safeguarding the American promise of opportunity for every child.

As Minnesota parents, educators and community leaders, we will learn from history and recommit ourselves to the ideals Carter championed — affirming quality education as an essential cornerstone of our democracy and ensuring every student, regardless of their background or circumstance, has the opportunity to access it.

Willie Jett, a former teacher, principal, superintendent and basketball coach, is commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education.