Earlier this month, I read some news that I struggled to believe was real. I struggled to believe so many drastic changes could take place in the beginning of 2025. I read on February 3, the Trump Administration announced plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Through reducing federal funding and involvement in public schools, approximately 49.6 million students in public elementary, middle, and high schools will be impacted.
Dismantling the Department of Education can weaken civic rights protections and jeopardize support for low-income students and students with disabilities. Furthermore, without federal involvement, education quality can be diminished, meaning states can have different educational standards and further widen the gap between the wealthy and struggling students.
All of this deeply hurts my community. My mom is a public school teacher, and she is extremely worried about how this will hurt her kids as well as her fellow teacher colleagues. My mom works tirelessly to support her students, often going above and beyond to provide her kids with quality education. Teachers are already underpaid and overworked, so I’m worried that this move will further drive teachers away from their jobs.
Additionally, I am really worried about my friends and classmates who have learning disabilities. My friend is able to do well at school because she has access to accommodations for her learning disability. However, with federal cuts and the dismantling of the Department of Education, all of her resources can go away in an instant.
This is a huge problem we must take seriously, for the truth is, most students in America are enrolled in public schools due to financial constraints.
According to neaToday, 90% of U.S. students, including 95% of those with disabilities, attend public school. If the Trump administration were to eliminate the Department of Education, that would mean that programs like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provides $15 billion to support students with disabilities, can be diminished.
Without the federal government’s support, students with disabilities can experience higher rates of academic struggles, which can lead to even higher rates of dropping out of high school.
Also, low-income students will likely suffer from this decision. The Department of Education helps fund Title 1 schools, which helps schools that have higher concentrations of poverty. By eliminating funding for Title 1 schools, these schools may lose funding for STEM courses, AP classes, and cultural diversity courses. Such change will increase the educational barriers already experienced by low-income students, making them less prepared to succeed in high school and college. Worst of all, this move can even prevent low-income students from achieving a college education.
Finally, this plan threatens to take away funding from essential teacher training programs, mental health services, and programs that fight against discrimination in schools. The Office for Civil Rights, currently under the Department of Education, plays an important role in protecting marginalized students from discrimination based on race, gender, and disability. Thus, dismantling the Department of Education and moving forward with federal freezing of funds can leave many teachers and students in vulnerable positions.
Since I am a public school student myself, I am honestly terrified as to what will happen if the Department of Education is truly dismantled. I worry that the public school education we receive will be diminished. I worry that we will lose crucial resources, where we will be forced to deal with larger class sizes, fewer support programs, and fewer resources for low income students and students with disabilities. So many communities are already struggling, and I truly believe that federal cuts and the dismantling of the Department of Education will merely exacerbate already existent educational inequities.
As a public school student, I really feel like I need to speak up. My classmates and I will be the ones most impacted by these changes, which is why I think it is urgent for us to come together and defend our education in California. If we don’t speak up now, I fear that, down the line, our opportunities will be more limited. The futures we are all working so hard for will be further out of reach. We, including parents, teachers, and students, must unite, advocate, and fight for the right to a quality education for all. Our future depends on it.
