Will Razing the Education Department Imperil Girls?
Originally published by Dana Nickel for Politico
Donald Trump plans to fulfill a campaign promise to totally revamp — and likely dismantle — the Education Department. The president is expected to issue an executive order later this month outlining plans to shutter the agency.
Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick to lead the department, told a congressional panel Thursday that the president does not want to defund the agency — though he has taken steps to do so. Recently, the administration placed multiple department employees on leave and billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency launched a probe into the agency — a move that led the administration to terminate nearly $900 million in department contracts.
With cuts already decimating the agency and the prospect of closure looking more likely, education leaders and advocates have expressed serious concerns over the consequences — particularly for data collection, combating discrimination and resources for students who are experiencing sexual misconduct in schools. Advocates are also worried that young women and girls in schools will bear the brunt of these cuts.
According to Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, the largest labor unions in the country, 90 percent of American students and 95 percent of students with disabilities are enrolled in public schools. “Eliminating the Department of Education is equivalent to giving up on our future. Strong public schools are essential to strong communities,” Pringle says in a statement.