“Cut the b— —, not education” | State leaders respond to Executive Order to dismantle DOE
DELMARVA – Education leaders and state officials are responding to President Donald Trump’s executive order signed Thursday, directing U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to dismantle the agency.
Shutting down the department would require Congressional approval. The United States Congress created the department in 1979. Trump Administration officials have not clarified how each component of the Department of Education would be dismantled.
Speaking in the East Room as he signed the executive order, President Trump said, “We’re going to shut it down, and shut it down as quickly as possible.”
DSEA President: “A dark day in our nation’s history”
Delaware State Education Association President Stephanie Ingram called Thursday a “dark day in our nation’s history” in a press release.
Ingram stated dismantling the Department of Education would strip vital resources from Delaware families, and destroy programs that support vulnerable children. She also warned class sizes could balloon as a result of the dwindling number of educators in the state. Three out of five students in Delaware who are learning reading and math benefit from Department of Education support. Ingram stated that most of them are from low-income families and children with disabilities.
“This isn’t about saving money. This is about starving public schools of the resources our students need – and our families depend on – so the Trump Administration can funnel our tax dollars to corporate profiteers and deliver tax cuts to the wealthiest 1%. The reality is it’s Delaware’s students who will ultimately pay the price for Trump’s latest gift to his billionaire donors,” Ingram stated.
Md. Educators Warn of “Potential Chaos”
The Maryland State Education Association also spoke out about the president’s action.
According to the organization, Maryland students are supported by $1.5 billion in federal funding, equating to about 10% of public school funding in the state. Maryland State Education Association President Paul Lemle warned about the effects on students with disabilities and stated in a press release that schools in every county receive Title I funding.
“This potential chaos redoubles the importance of doing all we can in Maryland to strengthen and protect our commitment to our students, especially those coming from backgrounds of poverty, receiving special education services, or who are multilingual learners,” Lemle stated.
Del. Governor Slams Executive Order
Delaware Governor Matt Meyer slammed the president’s order in a press release.
The governor stated President Trump and Republican governors supporting him should be ashamed, vowing to fight for public education.
“Let’s cut the b——, not education. Schools are already underfunded, teachers underpaid, and students underserved … If they think we’ll let them gut public education without a fight, they’re dead wrong. We still stand up, push back, and demand every dollar our students deserve,” Gov. Meyer stated.
Legal Challenges Ahead
The executive order met legal challenges before it was even signed.
On March 13, Maryland and Delaware Attorneys General Anthony Brown and Kathy Jennings joined a coalition of 20 others to stop the department’s undoing. The group filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the Trump Administration’s policies including cutting the department’s workforce and programs.
The coalition argued the Administration’s actions to dismantle the Department of Education are illegal and unconstitutional. In the lawsuit, the group asserts the Executive Branch does not have legal standing to dismantle the department without an act of Congress.
In filing the lawsuit, Brown and Jennings joined Attorneys General from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin and Vermont.
