Cnn
–
President Donald Trump launched the ministry of education dismantling by Sign a decree THURSDAY.
This decision aims to keep a long -standing campaign promise and to change more power on states education. Although the president cannot completely close the agency without the approval of the congress, the ministry announced earlier this month that almost half of its staff would leave with layoffs and voluntary buyouts.
It remains to be seen what will happen to the agency’s programs and functions, and the legal challenges of Trump’s decree are likely.
Federal funding for disabled students, who fall under the law on the education of disabled people, as well as the financing of title I for low -income schools and federal payments on student loans, will not be modified by the order, said a senior administration official. However, the order prohibits programs or activities receiving agency funds by advancing diversity, equity and inclusion or gender ideology.
Order supporters said that education surveillance should be returned to states and parents, while opponents argue that this decision will harm children and their ability to learn.
Here is what you need to know about the efforts of the Trump administration to dismantle the Ministry of Education:
Low -income, rural and disabled students could be affected
The Ministry of Education provides dozens of billions of dollars in funding to support millions of students in low -income and rural areas and disabled people – and defenders are concerned about the triggering of the agency could mean for them.
The agency surrounds more than $ 18 billion in additional funding each year to local school districts to provide additional academic support for high poverty rates schools. Title I grants serve around 26 million low -income students.
The dismantling of the department, as well as the loss of many staff members, raise concerns about what states and districts will use federal funds in the best way to lead to positive results for students, said Weade James, principal director of kindergarten education policy at the 12th year at the center of the left for American Progress. For example, she wondered if states would follow the progress of students.
In addition, rural and smaller school districts count on the Ministry of Education for Technical Assistance and for the implementation of title I grants And other programs, she noted.
“It is very important that we continue to ask ourselves how these cuts will have an impact on the students because they are indeed,” said James. “There will be a loss of expertise and a loss of data collection, surveillance and responsibility.”
The Ministry of Education also establishes parameters around adaptations for disabled students, ensuring that they are entitled to free and appropriate public education. The agency helps to finance schools for the deaf and the blind in the United States and oversees the rehabilitation administration of services, which provides services that aim to help Americans disabled to live more independently and to terror jobs. The department provides more than $ 15 billion per year to help 7.4 million students through the law on the education of disabled people, known as the idea.
What happens to these functions remains to be seen, but Project 2025, a sweeping plan to revise the federal government written by several people on Trump’s orbit, called for the functions to be transferred to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, which is not as well informed of the Center for American Progress. This could make much more difficult for disabled students to obtain the services they need, she said.
“What we know is that we will see a radical change in the way we offer or do not provide services to disabled students,” she said.
Questions remain around the management of federal student loans
The Ministry of Education had trouble finding a viable alternative agency to manage its huge portfolio of student debt, according to two sources involved in the discussions. The loan portfolio totals a party CNN previously reported based on information accessible to the public.
Pressure secretary of the White House, Karoline Leavitt, announced before the signing of the executive order on Thursday that certain “critical functions” such as student loans and the administration of risky students would remain with the Ministry of Education, but Trump later declared that these functions would be redistributed to other agencies.
The gap could set up a challenge for the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, who is held by law to perform some of the functions mandated by the Congress of the Ministry, in particular the Loan Administration and the granting of subsidies to schools in areas on high pause.
The president had previously suggested that the portfolio – which is larger than all American banks except three – would be transferred to the Treasury Service or to the Small Business Administration, although these plans did not take shape.
“The Treasury does not want it,” according to one of the sources involved in the discussions, which also declared to CNN no conversation on the transfer to the small administration company.
The Ministry of Education does not have control of the study program in schools.
In the creation of the Ministry of Education, the Congress said:
“No provision of a program administered by the secretary or by any other ministry officer will be interpreted to authorize the secretary or any other officer to exercise any direction, supervision or control over the school program, the teaching program, the administration or the staff of any educational establishment. to the extent authorized by law. »»
The curriculum’s responsibility is the responsibility of states and localities, so that the decree would not directly affect student programs.
Thanks to a combination of voluntary dismissals and “redemptions”, the Ministry of Education has announced its intention to Almost half of his workforce Since Trump took office.
One of the offices has reached the most harsh work, The Civil Rights Officestrives to protect students by organizing schools and colleges that receive federal funds responsible for the fight against anti -Semitism, Islamophobia, racism and discrimination against disabled students.
The Trump administration firm seven of the 12 regional office offices and dismissed almost half of its staff.
What happens to the office is still uncertain. But office workers told CNN that they were extremely concerned about their ability to effectively treat complaints with half of the staff.
“This will completely stop the vast majority of cases we can take, assess and investigate,” said an OCR employee, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of remuneration.
Jeff Zelery de CNN has contributed to this story.