1. United States
2. Neb.
3. Letter

This executive order by the Trump Administration will have disastrous consequences for our schools and our children. It means fewer resources for special education and teacher training. It means less individualized attention to the learning needs of our students. Who will oversee the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)? Who will enforce assessment and accountability requirements that ensure that all schools are evaluated by how they serve ALL students? What will happens to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), which helps ensure all schools and colleges create safe learning environments for all students? Who will manage FASFA? Who will manage the federal student debt portfolio? Who will collect, analyze, and publish data about how U.S. students are performing, what’s working, and what isn’t working? Information that helps the U.S. stay competitive? This executive order certainly isn’t about the people’s will. In fact, a 2023 poll showed that when asking Americans which public policy priority should receive more government funding, education was the top response. A strong majority overall support increased governmental funding of education (65%), including 52% of Republicans If the department is torn apart, students and families will suffer at the hands of an inefficient patchwork of unrelated agencies. Dismantling the department will throw up barriers, reduce cooperation, cripple high-poverty school districts, and widen education gaps. This administration must reconsider this reckless proposal. It must prioritize and strengthen, not dismantle, the Department of Education for the sake of our children and the nation's prosperity.