President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order aimed at beginning to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, a task that cannot be completed without approval from Congress. The Trump administration’s goal is to move control over public schools to states.
Before the order was signed on March 20, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said its goal would be to “greatly minimize the agency,” but that “critical functions” like federal student loans and grants for at-risk students would continue under the federal Department of Education.
Most public school funding comes from state and local governments, which also decide on curriculums. The U.S. Department of Education manages federal funding for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Title I funding for low-income schools, and Pell Grants for college students.
Before Trump’s executive order was signed, White House officials said that the Department of Education would still handle Pell Grants, student loans, civil rights protections, and special education funding.
Governor Murphy: Executive Order Will Endanger Vital Resources
Governor Phil Murphy issued a statement calling the executive order “unconscionable and unconstitutional” and said it would have potentially disastrous ramifications for students. “New Jersey receives approximately $1.2 billion in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the vast majority of which supports low-income students and students with disabilities. By signing this Executive Order, the Trump Administration is endangering vital resources for K-12 students and risking increased costs for those pursuing higher education,” Murphy said.
“Simply put, the Trump Administration is going out of its way to create chaos and raise costs for our nation’s families. I urge New Jersey’s Congressional delegation to protect federal funding and preserve the legally prescribed functions of the U.S. Department of Education. My Administration will take every possible step we can to support their efforts,” Murphy said.
The federal Department of Education was created by Congress in 1979 and shutting it down would also require an act of Congress. New Jersey is among 21 states that have filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the federal department. The lawsuit calls the restructuring unconstitutional and says it could lead to major disruptions in funding for K-12 education.
Mixed Reactions From New Jersey Family’s Facebook Community
Reactions to the order were mixed among parents. One NJ mom of a child with special needs said she is worried about what this will mean for kids who rely on crucial funding. “As a parent of a special needs child, I am deeply concerned by efforts to dismantle the US Department of Education,” said Tracy O’Toole, a New Jersey-based special needs parent. “The agency provides critical funding and oversight for public education and is essential for supporting students with disabilities and those from lower-income areas. The Department protects our most vulnerable students and enables all learners to thrive.”
We asked our Facebook followers to share their thoughts and dozens of parents spoke out. Some said the executive order is good news because they hope it will eliminate government bureaucracy. “More money direct to education and not to bureaucrats. It should be good for students” one commenter said. “Take out the middle man! The students will benefit in the long run,” another said.
Others said they are worried federal cuts will have dire consequences for NJ’s most vulnerable communities and higher taxes for all New Jerseyans. “States and localities already are in charge of their education, the federal government helped with funding,” said one commenter. “So now our state taxes will go up, there will be less help for poor districts and for students with special needs.”
Some fear that states will be overwhelmed by cuts to federal Department of Education staff and funding. “States are not getting the money and people are getting laid off and programs cut,” another commenter said.
The NJEA and Other Groups Speak Out
New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) President Sean Spiller, Vice President Steve Beatty, and Secretary-Treasurer Petal Robertson called Trump’s executive order an “ill-intentioned and very likely illegal plan,” adding that “no one is fooled by the false promise that critical programs like Title I and IDEA will carry on after the destruction of the department.” The statement went on to say: “New Jersey families deserve better. We already get back far less from the federal government than we pay in taxes.”
The National PTA called on members and advocates to reach out to their members of Congress to oppose efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. “Dismantling the U.S. Department of Education isn’t about government efficiency, it’s about abandoning our collective responsibility to our children at a time when educational challenges require more, not fewer, resources,” the National PTA said in a statement. “We all agree that we need to improve our nation’s educational system. But to effectively meet the needs of our students, we must all work together to create lasting solutions, rather than weakening the educational safeguards designed to protect and support all children.
In anticipation of the order, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released a statement on March 11th expressing worry over funding cuts and the impact they would have on classrooms across the country.
“The proposed layoffs of half the staff of the Department of Education would significantly impact the quality of teachers in America’s classrooms and cripple our work to improve outcomes for students across our nation,” Dr. Heather Peske, President of the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), said in the statement.
She added specific concerns about how mass layoffs could impact the administration of national assessments, data collection and research, funding and financial aid and the enforcement of civil rights laws within educational settings. “Without a federal backstop, states are likely to weaken or abandon commitments to maintaining high standards for student learning and accountability for student outcomes.”
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