"The American people did not vote for their neighborhood schools to be closed or class sizes to be larger. They did not vote to cut special education"

Rep. Pete Aguilar D-Calif 2/11/25

Hi Reader,

One of my goals with this newsletter is to share important education news with families. It's so important you understand what is happening so that you can best support your child....

In this special edition, I'm going to discuss what's going on with the Federal Department of Education. Here's a quick overview before we get into it:

✅ What does the DoEd do?

• Manages Title I funding – Provides financial support to schools with high numbers of low-income students to improve educational opportunities.
• Supports American Indian education – Funds programs to support Native American students and tribal schools.
• Administers Pell Grants – Helps low-income college students afford higher education through need-based financial aid.
• Funds special education programs – Oversees IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) to support students with disabilities through specialized services and resources.
• Oversees federal education funding – Allocates resources to schools, districts, and states to support disadvantaged and special needs students.
• Enforces education laws – Ensures compliance with laws that protect students' rights, such as IDEA and Title IX.
• Promotes equal access to education – Works to eliminate discrimination and improve opportunities for underserved communities.
• Collects and analyzes education data – Provides research and statistics on school performance and equity.
• Supports teachers and schools – Offers professional development and resources to help educators serve diverse student needs.

tldr; The U.S. Department of Education funds Title I schools, American Indian education, Pell Grants, and special education programs (IDEA). It ensures equal access to education, enforces laws, and supports schools and teachers to improve opportunities for vulnerable students.

🚫 What doesn't the DoEd do?

There's a lot of misinformation about the federal government's role in schools. If you read one thing in this newsletter...read this list!

• Does not create curriculum – States and local school districts decide what students learn.
• Does not mandate what schools teach – Education standards and subject requirements are set by individual states.
• Does not control standardized testing – Each state develops its own tests; the DoEd only collects and analyzes education data.
• Does not run or manage schools – Local school boards and state education agencies oversee public schools.
• Does not hire or train teachers – Teacher certification and training requirements are determined by states.
• Does not determine school funding levels – Most school funding comes from state and local governments.
• Does not regulate private or homeschool education – Private schools and homeschooling are governed at the state level.
• Does not set tuition costs – Colleges and universities set their own tuition; the DoEd only provides financial aid like Pell Grants.
• Does not require standardized testing – Federal law may encourage assessments, but states decide their own testing policies.
• Does not close or abolish schools – School closures are determined by local or state officials, not the DoEd.

tldr; The U.S. Department of Education does not decide much at all...it mostly earmarks funds and protects some of the most vulnerable children so they can get the education they deserve. The state and local government has much more control. Since it has nothing to do with curriculum, there's nothing "woke" or "CRT" to discuss.

Now let's get into it...

🧐 So What's Happening?

President Trump has vowed to close the Dept. of Ed. Now 4 weeks ago, I would have told you this would have been a years long fight. This is something that congress and the senate have to vote on, it would take years to actually happen...But I've seen a lot in the last 23 days.

• Last week (Feb 8, 2025) DOGE locked people out of the Dept of Ed and gained access to sensitive information.
• Yesterday (Feb 11, 2025) DOGE abruptly cut almost a billion dollars in funding to education research and grants.
• This Thursday (Feb 13, 2025) Linda McMahon, candidate for Secretary of Education, will have her hearing. McMahon has only one year experience working on the Connecticut board of education and is best known for running the WWE (yes wrestling). Many see her as a Trump loyalist getting a cabinet appointment as a reward. It's odd to think, she'll jump through all these hoops just to close the department, but I guess someone has to do it.

🧠 The Impact

• Ultimately the plan is to dismantle the DoEd as quickly as possible. This will directly impact 4,000 federal jobs and the ripple will also reach to researchers, scientists, and students that use grants, contractors, and yes...teachers. Education is an enormous industry.
• We have already seen important early childhood programs like Headstart impacted with the abrupt cutting of grants.
• It's unclear where the money from the DoEd would go. I've heard republicans claim it would be sent to states...but DOGE seems focused on eliminating spending. I guess we will hold our breath and wait...
  • I live in North Carolina and don't trust the state government to actually use any additional funding for education. It's scary to think states would divert money elsewhere. NC is known using the education lottery funds for other purposes. It's also known for the 31 year old Leandro case which has kept billions of dollars in state funding from students.
• I worked at a Title I schools for many years. The school received extra funding due to the high amount of children living in poverty. It's a well known fact that children growing up in or near poverty need more resources to thrive in school. One of the main uses for the money was to reduce class sizes and expand opportunity. There was about 1 extra teacher per grade level, a supporting teacher that ran small groups, and a Spanish teacher hired with these funds. Without DoEd funding, these positions will go away
• Special education funding comes almost exclusively from the DoEd. This means the entire program could disappear overnight. This includes special education teachers, assistants, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, school psychologists could be at risk of losing their jobs.
• I'm talking about this in terms of jobs, but we all know who will really be impacted by this: the children.
• There was a time (the 1970s) where children with disabilities were not guaranteed a spot in school. Without the DoEd, we might be returning to this.
• There was a time where schools were segregated (1950s into the 60s), without the DoEd, we might be returning to this.
• There was a time where children were American Indian children were not guaranteed an education (prior to 1972). Without the DoEd, we might be returning to this.
• There was a time when college was completely inaccessible to middle and lower class families, without the Pell Grant (1973), we may return to this.

✏️ What Can You Do?

• Paperwork: If your child has an IEP, 504 plan, or any other legal document outlining special education or accommodations, make sure you have your own copy ASAP. If systems get shut down, then special education teachers cannot access it.
• Write: your congressional rep and senator- make sure they know how important this department is. If you hear about local protests, go support education. Even if you don't want to march, you can get your kids involved by passing out water bottles.
• PAY ATTENTION: NPR does a great job of reporting education. You can read or listen to their stories
• Correct Misconceptions: So many people have an opinion on the DoEd, but clearly have no idea what is does. Forward them this email and gently remind them that whatever they are complaining about, is probably a state issue.
• Stay in school: Republicans want to privatize education. This is one of many tactics to squeeze budgets and make public schools look bad. Teachers, administrators, and school employees are passionate about education. Keep your kids in public school, vote for candidates that support it, and donate to your PTA!

Thanks for reading this, I know it was a lot. Let me know what you think about all this, forward this email to a friend, and if you appreciate this work you can always buy me a coffee.

🍎 Stay strong,