By Edward Henderson

California Black Media

The Trump Administration is dismantling the Department of Education (DOE). That action fulfills a campaign promise that has been a goal of right-wing conservatives since the department’s inception.

In fact, on March 20 — the day President Donald Trump signed the executive order to begin that process — he said, referring to the current Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, “hopefully she will be our last.”

Despite extensive layoffs implemented by Trump at the department, without an act of Congress, completing its dismantling will be an uphill fight, some Washington insiders believe.

So far, roughly 1,300 employees have been fired from the department last month, leaving only 2,183 employees. This is down from more than 4,000 at the beginning of the year.

Trump allies in Congress have also vowed to introduce legislation to begin the legislative process of dismantling the department.

In California, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has been outspoken, expressing his disapproval of Trump’s and other GOP leaders’ attacks on the DOE.

“We will not stand idly by while the Trump Administration continues to sow chaos, uncertainty, and interruptions of normal communication surrounding federal education programs,” said Thurmond in a statement. “We will combat these attempts to undermine educational equity and opportunity and stay focused on our most important goal: improving educational results for our students.”

The Department, founded in 1979, is responsible for supporting K-12 education nationwide, particularly aiding disadvantaged students and students with disabilities. Among the Department’s many critical roles are distributing funds for schools across the United States. California received $2.4 billion in funds supporting strategies to close the achievement gap and $1.5 billion in special education funding for the fiscal year of 2024-25.

“Outside of this order, recent actions by the administration have caused real harm to students, families, and educators, including the elimination of contracts with agencies who provide supports for schools and students and the sudden and irresponsible shuttering of the Office for Civil Rights in the most populous state,” Thurmond continued. “While the federal administration is clearly willing to disrupt pathways to the American Dream, California remains focused on the promise of educational opportunities for all students.”

The administration has also canceled $148 million in teacher training grants for California that were meant to address an acute teacher shortage — and promote a diverse teaching workforce. It’s not clear if the cancellations were a result of across-the-board cutbacks, an ideological issue, or both.

That action is being challenged in court, and a judge has ordered the funds to be restored for now.

Cecily Myart-Cruz, President of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), has called Trump’s executive order an attack on schools, students and working-class families.

“This reckless, anti-democratic move reveals a disturbing truth: those in power will sacrifice our children’s education and our nation’s prospects,” she said.

Last month’s slashing of DOE staff by half has affected the agency’s ability to carry out routine but important tasks, such as grant and loan program management for students. McMahon has promised congressionally appropriated money, including financial aid, won’t be affected by the Trump administration’s plans.

However, many of the employees of the Federal Student Aid Office within the Department of Education have been laid off due to the staff cuts. This has raised concerns that the workload will create longer wait times and other issues as responsibilities are redistributed.

“Make no mistake: this isn’t about academic freedom. This ploy serves as a distraction while billionaires and technocrats steal from our communities, stripping public schools of vital resources and handing them over to crooks who put profits over children,” said Myart-Cruz.

California has joined 19 other states and Washington, D.C. in a lawsuit against the federal government for what the plaintiffs are calling the “illegal firing” of the DOE employees.

“This en masse firing exceeds any statutory authority granted by Congress,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a video statement. 

“The reduction in force is so severe and so extreme that it incapacitates the department from performing statutory functions,” Bonta continued.

The Governor and Democratic lawmakers have also vowed to continue fighting back.

“This overreach needs to be rejected immediately by a coequal branch of government. Or was Congress eliminated by this executive order, too?” Gov. Gavin Newsom stated, responding to the President’s order.

Bonta asked how America expects to lead the world in education when students are underperforming in basic subjects.

“President Trump can shout America first all he wants, but his anti-education agenda only ensures we come in dead last,” the Attorney General said.