More than 1,300 federal workers were laid off from the Department of Education on March 11, including employees from the Office for Civil Rights, which investigates discrimination complaints against kids with disabilities. Drastically reducing education research, student testing and disability support is not the solution to addressing the root causes of declining academic performance, and it does not equip educators with the necessary tools to support all of their students to their greatest potential.
Cutting 50% of employees from the Department of Education results in a stop to ongoing research projects and data analysis that directly influence K-12 public school students across the nation.
The Programme for International Student Assessment team has been laid off, cutting the measures of the competitiveness of U.S. students on a global level. The National Assessment of Education Progress was impacted by the widespread layoffs.
The test is also the only national test used to compare the performances of students across all the states in the country.
In an exclusive interview with The Ticker, Danbury High School Law & Government Teacher Heather Lorenz shared her perspective.
“Most of the staff at the DOE were civil rights attorneys and people who administered student aid services,” Lorenz explained.
Federal test scores plunged, showing American children’s reading and math skills at record lows. The Trump administration found these results to be evidence that the Department of Education failed their job and the nation.
Lorenz brought attention to the unfairness of using these low test scores to assess the DOE’s performance.
“COVID had a huge effect on our students and test scores demonstrate that effect,” Lorenz said. “Most curriculum and testing is decided at the state levels. I do not believe that the Department of Education has failed due to test scores.”
Danbury High School has already been suffering the consequences of restricted funding, as it is the largest high school in Connecticut yet receives the least funding per student.
“Most teachers I know are worried about the effects of what is going on in Washington and are concerned that cuts in aid to states will follow,” Lorenz said. “Technically only Congress can stop federal monies from being given to states, but we can already see that the President is ignoring the orders of other branches of government, so I am nervous. In the case of our school district, an 8% cut would be devastating.”
Over 1,800 parent organizations across the nation are represented by The National Parents Union which released a statement emphasizing that “parents will not stand by and watch our children’s future be dismantled. We are ready to fight back.” The union labeled the DOE cuts as a “direct attack on America’s public schools” because without the DOE, public education is at risk and there is no one to protect students’ rights.
The Trump administration should consider the repercussions students and educators would face under budget cuts to research on education.
