Trump is tearing out chapters of students’ futures, seeking to completely erase all progress the U.S has made to reach equality of education in this country.
When Trump set out to dismantle the Department of Education, it wasn’t just an attack on the federal department itself, it was the beginning of the abolishment of equal opportunity and civil rights in this country. A plan to eliminate any resources that can help the underprivileged and discriminated against. This was made clear the second he introduced the abolishment of DEI, which quite literally stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Some may not know that the name is actually DEIA, the “A” standing for Accessibility, referring to support and accommodations in the workplace for the disabled. Of course, this is not mentioned by the Trump administration to hide the true severity of the situation and who it will actually impact. Another action by the Trump administration that unveils his twisted goal to hurt the underprivileged is his introduced tax plan, which according to The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy will cut taxes for only the richest 5% and raise taxes for everyone else. Now, a line has to be drawn somewhere, and it needs to be drawn at education.
The goal to dismantle The Department of Education is a huge attack on the underprivileged because it plays a substantial role when it comes to protecting civil rights in schools. They do this through a sub-agency called the Office of Civil Rights. According to the U.S. Department of Education official website, “it investigates complaints alleging discrimination, determines whether the federal civil rights laws it enforces have been violated, initiates proactive compliance reviews, and provides policy guidance and technical assistance to schools and school districts.”
Getting rid of this department impairs a pathway for parents to seek justice for their children whose civil rights have been violated at school. It silences the voice that has been given to every American; the freedom to call out what’s wrong and prevent discrimination in schools everywhere. Without a way to report these kinds of violations, no one will be held accountable. 19,201 complaints regarding discrimination on the basis of race, age, sex, disability, etc. were filed in 2023 according to an article from NPR. This article specifically tells the story of a child who is partially deaf and uses a wheelchair. He was not properly accommodated at his school due to the fact that they did not have proper funding to meet these requirements for special needs students. These kinds of situations are extremely impactful for students across the country, we need a path to justice when these kinds of violations happen. Offering parents resources to report discriminatory behavior in schools is one of the Department of Education’s major jobs, and it needs to be protected.
This department is extremely important for disabled children when it comes to reporting unequal or discriminatory treatment. According to a chart from USAFacts, Disability discrimination complaints make up about 35% of the complaints filed to the Office of Civil Rights. Trump has claimed that dismantling the department won’t impact disabled children at schools, but this is very unlikely. The federal government makes up 40% of the funding for special education. The Department of Education is a huge contributor to this percentage: USAFacts states that about 20 billion dollars went towards Special Education in 2024. AP Gov. and Law teacher at West Leyden High School Mr. Hogan stated, “Despite the Trump administration’s claims that they are not touching key funding aspects like special education, I have a hard time believing that will happen. I believe schools are going to have less money and will have to tighten their belts a bit”. Leaving this funding management up to the states is going to put a lot of special education students at risk of not getting the proper funding/ resources.
Another minority group protected by the Department of Education is immigrants. Immigrants, under federal law, are entitled to equal access to education as everyone else in the U.S. The department provides many resources for immigrants to preserve this right. Removing federal authority over education could lead to a loss of protection for immigrant students. Though there are laws and precedents set to protect their rights, states may unevenly enforce these based on how they perceive immigrants/ immigration. According to unidosus.org: the Department of Education’s funding supports language instruction, professional development for educators, and family engagement initiatives. Eliminating the department would likely lead to funding decisions by certain states that would ignore these things completely. Also, as established before, the shortcomings of states or mistreatment of underprivileged communities (in this case immigrants) would be difficult to hold accountable if there was no Office of Civil Rights.
So what is the reason? Where does this anger towards the Department of Education come from? Well, the conservative viewpoint would be that because of the current issues in our education system, we have to establish a new way to manage it. Leaving it up to the states would allow much more freedom and local control. This is an understandable point: if we have issues in our country regarding education, that means the Department of Education isn’t helping, right? Well, we have to consider the fact that leaving education up to the states would lead to this idea that education is unequal. If every state has the freedom to determine how they want to fund and control education, there is this risk of unequal access. Some student minority groups that have been previously mentioned may not be given the resources they need to get the proper education, because it won’t be required in the same way it is when federally controlled. This idea that education shouldn’t be equal is inherently non-democratic. Mr. Hogan touched on this issue stating “Education is supposed to be this kind of equalizing force in America, right? We have to take care of our kids no matter what; it doesn’t matter if you’re born in a wealthy household or a low income one”. He elaborates, “There is something very democratic about public schools, you know? All learning the same things and using the same resources. It’s hard to believe that it won’t have some impact, particularly on special education students or these families who rely on public schools and their resources.”
Trump’s plan to deprive students and families across the country of one of the most resourceful departments for the underprivileged speaks volumes about his character. He claims that he is saving America from “unnecessary spending”, but giving every child in this country the right to learn and pursue their dreams just as much as everyone else seems extremely “necessary”. America’s deficit is not an excuse; only 4.0% of federal spending goes towards education (USAFacts). Primarily state run education will lead to an increase in private schools, leaving the lower-class helpless and ignored. Education is a right and is inherently equal to every person in the United States. Trump’s angle that disrupting the funding going to education will benefit it in any way is completely ill-advised.
The truth is, our education system is currently in need of reform, but we need more help and resources to fall back on, not less. In a nation that prides itself on opportunity and justice, dismantling the Department of Education is a betrayal. Education is not a luxury— it is a right.
Work Cited:
U.S. Department of Education. “Office for Civil Rights.” U.S. Department of Education, www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
USAFacts. “How the Federal Government Spends Money on Education.” USAFacts, 2024, www.usafacts.org/articles/how-the-federal-government-spends-money-on-education/. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
National Public Radio (NPR). “Education Department Logs Thousands of Civil Rights Complaints.” NPR, 2023, www.npr.org/2023/04/04/education-department-civil-rights-complaints. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
UnidosUS. “Supporting English Learners through Federal Education Funding.” UnidosUS, www.unidosus.org. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). “Trump’s Tax Plan Would Largely Benefit the Wealthy.” ITEP.org, www.itep.org/trumps-tax-plan-would-largely-benefit-the-wealthy/. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
