Ei-iE

As part of his continued attack on the right to education in the United States, the Trump Administration enacted a series of severe cuts to the Department of Education, including laying off close to half of the agency's workforce. The layoffs are part of the Trump administration’s plans to gut and eventually dismantle the agency that, among other things, enforces anti-discrimination laws and distributes funding to support disadvantaged students around the country.

“Firing—without cause—nearly half of the Department of Education staff means the Trump administration is getting rid of the dedicated public servants who help ensure our nation’s students have access to the programs and resources to keep class sizes down and expand learning opportunities. Nobody could possibly believe that you’re letting go nearly half of your staff and they’re still going to be able to meet the needs of the students across America,” stated Becky Pringle, President of the National Education Association and Education International Vice-President.

Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, stressed that the layoffs make it “more difficult - if not impossible - to protect our kids and get students the resources they need to succeed”. In an opinion piece on MSNBC, Weingarten warned that “a gutted department would mean fewer teachers, more crowded classrooms and increased mental health and behavioral challenges for students. We’d most likely see increased absenteeism and decreased graduation rates”. With much of the department’s total annual budget going towards providing student loans for Americans trying to secure a college education, dismantling the agency will make it “even harder for the children of low-income and middle-class families to cover skyrocketing college and university costs”, the union leader added.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated that the layoffs were the first step towards shutting down the agency altogether, as mandated by President Trump.

The Department of Education is one of the smallest Cabinet-level federal departments with around 3,000 employees in its Washington headquarters and around 1,000 workers in its 10 regional offices. Its budget accounts for only 4% of the federal budget.

According to advocates, dismantling the agency would rob 26 million students living in poverty of critical services and 7.5 million students with disabilities of special education support. It would eliminate career and technical education for 12 million students, threatening their future job opportunities. Slashing student loans could make college unaffordable for another 10 million working-class families.

In addition, the Trump Administration has terminated two programmes that provided public schools and food banks more than $1 billion to buy food from local farmers. With food prices rising, the termination of these programmes will impact millions of students and families across the country.

Education unionists across the United States are joining forces with their communities to organise a National School Walk-in on March 19 to demand that public schools are protected. During the school walk-in, parents, educators, and students, along with neighbors and community leaders, will gather in front of their school 30-45 minutes before the school day begins. School communities will rally and listen to speakers discuss what they want for the school. All participants will then walk into the school together in a show of unity and support for the essential programs that help communities thrive.

International solidarity with U.S. educators

The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, both members of Education International, have joined forces to oppose the Trump agenda to undermine public education.

The unions have received an outpouring of solidarity from colleagues around the world.

“The Trump administration and its billionaire supporters seek to dismantle progress, turning education into a privilege and prioritising propaganda over truth. Their vision includes subjugating women, denying LGBTI+ rights, exploiting workers, perpetuating unchecked racism, and controlling democracies through financial and military power”, stated Mugwena Maluleke, President of Education International.

Maluleke stressed that “our colleagues in the United States are standing strong against these attacks. They do not stand alone. Educators around the world stand with them. As the global education union movement, our strength lies in solidarity and resistance. Together, we have the power to challenge injustice, to fight for the rights of educators and students, and to rebuild public education as a foundation for peace, progress, and equity”.

Members of the Higher Education Research Standing Committee of ETUCE, Education International’s regional structure for Europe, also expressed their solidarity.

Meeting in Brussels on 12-13 March, the Committee adopted a statement in support of U.S. colleagues and students, stressing that “this unconscionable attack on public education is dramatically illustrated by the declared intention to shut down the federal Department of Education and also by the unprecedented and egregious cuts in the funding of critical public education and research programmes, the assault on academic freedom and the associated imposition of anticipatory obedience and self-censorship in education and research institutions.

These actions threaten the foundations of the democratic society. We strongly oppose any attempts to stifle academic freedom and urge the U.S. administration to uphold the principles that ensure the integrity and independence of educational and research institutions.”