The Trump administration has recently initiated significant layoffs within the Department of Education, reducing staff by nearly 50%. This dismantling of the Department of Education (DoE) would have catastrophic impacts on the education of future generations. The impending budget cuts raise concerns amongst educators and advocates, such as ourselves, about potential disruptions to student loan services, financial aid programs, and civil rights enforcement in schools.
According to the 2025 fiscal year budget summary, the DoE helps 26 million students from poor families annually receive the extra support they need to succeed in school. The DoE also helps meet the individual needs of 7.5 million students with disabilities and provides 9 million students with financial aid to attend college or trade programs. In his inaugural address, Trump said that he wants America to be the country of ‘explorers, builders, innovators [and] entrepreneurs…”. However, the government now wants to redirect educational funding towards tax breaks for corporations. It will only become harder and harder for low income and middle-class families to receive school support, pushing higher education further out of reach to all but extremely wealthy families.
As these changes in the federal role in education are executed, it becomes increasingly important for YAF, EdLaw and all education advocates to work with local community and government to uphold educational standards and equity so we can ensure that all students receive the support and resources they deserve.
To read the full article on these catastrophic plans of the current administration please visit: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-education-department-layoffs-betray-teachers-children-rcna194367