In an opinion piece published in Fox News, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), criticizes President Donald Trump’s proposal to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Weingarten warns that the plan to reduce the department’s staff by nearly half and shift its responsibilities to other agencies will negatively impact 90% of public school students, particularly those from low-income families and with disabilities.
According to Weingarten, the proposed cuts to federal funding will disproportionately affect students in states that rely heavily on federal resources, such as Mississippi, Kentucky, and South Dakota. The U.S. Department of Education currently provides about $1 in every $7 spent on public schools, and experts, as quoted by Fox News, argue that without these critical funds, public schools would struggle to provide necessary services.
Impact on vulnerable students
Weingarten emphasizes that 7.5 million students with disabilities and millions of children from low-income families would face significant hardships if these cuts were implemented. As reported by Fox News, federal funding is essential to providing these students with specialized services such as therapy and financial aid for college. Dismantling the department would put these crucial programs in jeopardy.
The proposal also raises concerns about the increased use of federal funds for private school vouchers, which critics argue would primarily benefit wealthy families with children already attending private schools. As Fox News notes, 70% of public funds for school vouchers currently go to affluent families. This could exacerbate the educational divide between wealthy and low-income students, further hindering the goal of educational equity.
A dangerous step back for education
Weingarten also argues that the proposal is not just illegal but wrong, as it undermines the federal government’s role in ensuring equal educational opportunities for all students. As quoted by Fox News, she warns that dismantling the Education Department could force families to pay higher state and local taxes to make up for the loss of federal funding, benefiting the wealthiest Americans through tax cuts while hurting those who need it most.
While the Department of Education is not without its flaws, as Weingarten notes, eliminating its role in equalizing opportunity would ultimately harm students across the country. The move, she concludes, risks setting back progress made in public education, especially for the most vulnerable.
