NEA President: “Trump’s continued actions will hurt all students”

Gutting the Department of Education will send class sizes soaring, take away support for students with disabilities, and cut job training programs 

National Education Association President Becky Pringle released the following statement reacting to Donald Trump’s reported Executive Order pushing to end the Department of Education:    

“Donald Trump and Elon Musk have aimed their wrecking ball at public schools and the futures of the 50 million students in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America, by dismantling public education to pay for tax handouts for billionaires.   

“Last week Trump and Musk fired -- without cause -- nearly half of the Department of Education staff, trying to get rid of the dedicated public servants who help ensure our nation’s students have access to the services and resources to keep class sizes down, expand learning opportunities for students, and ensure programs like FAFSA can function.  

“Now, Trump is at it again with his latest effort to gut the Department of Education programs that support every student across the nation. If successful, Trump’s continued actions will hurt all students by sending class sizes soaring, cutting job training programs, making higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle class families, taking away special education services for students with disabilities, and gutting student civil rights protections.    

“In moving forward with this, Trump is ignoring what parents and educators know is right for our students. This morning, in hundreds of communities across the nation thousands of families, educators, students, and community leaders joined together outside of neighborhood public schools to rally against taking away resources and support for our students. And, we are just getting started. Every day we are growing our movement to protect our students and public schools.   

“We won’t be silent as anti-public education politicians try to steal opportunities from our students, our families, and our communities to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Together with parents and allies, we will continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize so that all students have well-resourced schools that allow every student to grow into their full brilliance."    

 
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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org