President Donald Trump is taking steps to defund the federal Education Department in a move that would leave millions vulnerable. The announcement, which came on Feb. 3, has left many fearing for the future of education in the United States.
On Monday, a White House official announced that Trump’s administration would be going ahead with his threat to defund the Education Department. It has been reported that U.S. officials are weighing the possibility of dismantling the department through executive orders. This is part of a campaign created by the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, to reduce the government’s workforce.
Republicans were critical of Joe Biden’s educational policies, such as tuition fee loan forgiveness and a push for DEI policies. Trump has already begun dismantling DEI throughout the federal government, and now dozens of Department of Education workers are on administrative leave. According to the Associated Press, those placed on leave have been locked out of their government email accounts and told not to report to the office.
Stopping federal funding will affect some of the country’s poorest regions, areas that relied on funding, the worst. A CNN analysis found that the 15 states that rely the most on federal funding for their public schools in 2022 all voted for Trump in the 2024 election. So how would these States get the money to fund their schools?
The reality of “go woke, go broke”
Many are now looking to the much-criticized Project 2025 manifesto to see what all this means. Trump, despite swearing he had nothing to do with it, appears to be using the 900-page “conservative handbook” as his personal playbook for running the country. The manifesto suggests turning federal funding, such as Title 1 (which helps support students from low-income areas to reach their academic goals) and IDEI (which supports students with disabilities), into no-strings-attached block grants to states.
Without federal oversight, these funds have a higher chance of being misused and diverted away from those who need them the most. Removing Tier 1 funding would also likely have a devastating impact on the already dire teacher shortage. Speaking to CNN, Jennifer Blankenship, a Principal at Bell Central School Center in Kentucky who voted Trump, discussed that defunding education is not what she voted for. “I did not vote for that, I voted for President Trump to make America first again and to improve our lives.” During his campaign trail, Trump often made remarks about defunding or dissolving the Education Department.
The reality, then, is not “go woke, go broke,” but the exact opposite. Trump, a conservative leader, is pulling funding out of areas that desperately rely on it.
Democracy requires educated citizens
Many see this as Trump’s way to control people better through lack of education. It is often believed that for the democratic process to work, you need educated citizens. This is not to say that only those with a university degree can vote but that the citizens should be able to understand the democratic process and critically think about what is in their, and their nation’s, best interest.
In his 2016 election, Trump overwhelmingly led his rivals for support from the less educated. In many ways, they feel seen by the billionaire who has managed to connect with them in a way that Democrats have not. Trump spouts populist ways he will bring prosperity back to these communities, often by shifting blame onto minorities and the opposition party utilizing “politics of resentment.” By cutting funding to education, Republicans are essentially keeping their voter base intact.
Published: Feb 4, 2025 05:31 am