Educators Striving Against Trump's Authoritarian Policies
Amid Trump's Assault on Public Education, Controversy as Funding Becomes Political Pawn
By Marianne Dhenin, Contributing Writer
The United States' 49 million public school students, encompassing a diverse range of backgrounds and needs, are at the forefront of a contentious battle over education funding as a political tool under President Donald Trump's administration. Critics argue that Trump's attacks on education will disproportionately hurt disabled students, LGBTQ students, students of color, and those from low-income households.
One middle and high school history teacher in California shared their concerns, stating, "The message has been clear: education is unimportant, and the needs of students are unimportant." On March 20, 2025, Trump issued an executive order directing Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the Department of Education. Although congressional approval is necessary to abolish the department, this executive order is seen as a significant step by the president's supporters toward the right-wing goal of shrinking the Department of Education.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, drafted the Project 2025 policy blueprint for Trump, maintaining that public education is a hotbed for liberal indoctrination. Ever since, Republican administration and political figures at the state and local levels have pushed for legislation aimed at censoring teachers, banning books, and reducing support for marginalized students.
The dissolution of the Department of Education, which provides crucial funding to public K-12 schools and focuses on districts with the greatest needs, will have far-reaching consequences. It is feared that state governments may not be able to adequately replace the lost funding. Title I funds, dedicated to low-income children, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)—designed to guarantee equal access to public education for disabled students—are among the most vulnerable provisions in danger of losing crucial funding.
Trump's order claims that state governments can take over federal responsibilities, but experts warn that this could lead to higher-need districts receiving less funding. Hilary Wething, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, explains that without the Department of Education to ensure fairness in funding allocation for programs like Title I, it's unclear if states will be able to handle the distribution on their own, which may widen educational inequalities.
The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) also faces the threat of closure due to reduced staff and a realignment of focus intended to further the Trump administration's agenda. Over 10,000 student complaints related to disability access and sexual and racial harassment have been placed on hold as a result of these changes. Rather than investigating allegations of discrimination, the OCR has begun issuing guidance that aligns with the administration's assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Executive orders from January 29, 2025, and February 14, 2025, have emphasized the administration's desire to end so-called "radical indoctrination" in schools and foster patriotic education. Critics argue that these measures ignore the realities of systemic racism, perpetuating it through censorship and suppression of educational opportunities. Research shows that teaching about race and racism reduces prejudice, while attempts to ignore it have the opposite effect.
Many educators are refusing to deviate from teaching about the diverse experiences and identities of their students. The American Federation of Teachers, the nation's second-largest teachers' union, has sued the Trump administration over its policies, challenging them as violations of the First and Fifth Amendments. A coalition of rights groups and labor unions also filed a lawsuit in response to Trump's order to shutter the Department of Education.
Despite the Trump administration's attempts to whitewash education, some educators continue to empower their students by uplifting diverse perspectives. Tricia Gallagher-Geurtsen, a lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, supports this approach, stating, "The way forward is through a reckoning with the past and present of racism. When we understand and lift up our understanding of how racism works, we diminish it."
Originally published by Yes! Magazine, 05.05.2025, under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license.
In the midst of the political manipulation of education funding under President Trump's administration, concerns about the general news and self-development arise as the dissolution of the Department of Education may lead to a lack of support for marginalized students, such as low-income children and disabled students, due to the potential loss of Title I funds and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding. Additionally, politics play a significant role in the education-and-self-development sector as conservative think tanks, like The Heritage Foundation, push for legislation that aims to censor teachers and reduce support for diverse perspectives in education.
