After President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the US Department of Education (DOE), liberal groups quickly reacted.
Here are a few responses:
The National Education Association and the NAACP filed a lawsuit to challenge the President’s executive order. Andrew Spar, President of the Florida Education Association, stated that President Trump was engaging in “political games.” Additionally, Nikki Fried, the state chair of the Florida Democratic Party, described Trump’s order as “unconstitutional.”
President of the local teachers’ union group in Volusia County, Elizabeth Albert from the Volusia United Educators, said dismantling or eliminating the Department of Education is extremely troubling.
Other union groups said shutting down the Federal agency would cause “irrevocable harm” to parents and students, especially those with disabilities, and student civil rights would no longer be protected.
“Is this a reaction or an overreaction?” said Education Analyst Dr. Ed Moore. Moore, who served for many years as the president of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF), says the “Sky is falling” mentality from teachers’ union groups is astonishing.
“They talk about if funding stops from the Dept of Education, it would hurt families’ students and school districts, and that just is not the case,” said Moore.
Moore points out that the Feds on average only fund 8% of local school costs, with states and local governments funding 92% of it through property taxes.
Moore also says the DOE is overrated when it comes to student grades. “Florida decides the curriculum,” Moore said. “The state picks textbooks and the state certifies teachers.”
Another claim made by unions is that abolishing the Education Department will jeopardize the student loan program. However, the Trump White House has stated this is not true. The President announced that student loans and special education services would be managed by other agencies, such as the Small Business Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services.
