WASHINGTON, D.C. – The White House said President Trump is still considering dismantling the Department of Education. The Press Secretary says no final action has been made yet but the National Education Association (NEA) is warning that getting rid of this department could hurt students.
The Education Department is like the funding arm for public education. Most of the schools are funded through the states but this Department helps states, local communities and school districts allocate federal funds to help them. The President is looking into ways to slash government spending but the NEA President claims getting rid of the Department could drain resources from the most vulnerable, skyrocket class sizes, make higher education more expensive, strip special ed service and gut student civil rights protections. The NEA adds there could be a potential lost of teaching positions, especially in areas where there are low-income communities.
Congressional members said it would be up to congress, not the White House, to abolish this Department. Sen. Gary Peters (D- MI) said there could be consequences in getting rid of this department because it helps educate our students. Sen. John Kennedy (R- LA) said he would first like to look into how the Department is allocating funds first before seeing if there needs to be any next steps.
