The Trump administration’s dismantling of the Department of Education is being challenged in federal court by the state of New York and a coalition of school districts, advocacy organizations, and unions, who argue that the changes are “unpredictable, chaotic, and unprofessional” and will harm millions of students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds and students with disabilities.
Tag: Linda McMahon
Posted inWord In Black
Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Mass Firings of Special Education Staff
The Trump administration laid off hundreds of staffers at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, which could make it harder for Black students with disabilities to get the support they need from the federal government, although a federal judge has temporarily blocked the move.
Posted inEducation
Can College-Prep Programs Survive Trump’s War on DEI?
The Trump administration has warned colleges that they will lose funding for admissions programs that “favor one race over another”, putting programs like the VIP Scholars Program at UCLA and the University of Southern California’s Neighborhood Academic Initiative at risk of losing federal funding.
Posted inEducation
What California Education Cuts Could Mean for Black Students
The Trump administration’s proposal to cut nearly $8 billion in federal education funding for California could exacerbate the state’s Black student crisis, which already projects that California’s Black K-12 public school students won’t reach reading proficiency until 2070 and math proficiency until 2089.
Posted inOpinion
Pell Grants at Peril: 7 Million Recipients Face $9 Billion Program Cut
The federal education budget for FY 2026 proposes a $9 billion cut to Pell Grants, which would reduce the maximum award from $7,395 to $5,710 and limit eligibility to students completing 30 academic credit hours.
Posted inEducation
Georgia Flowers-Lee Sounds Alarm on Autistic Student Support
Black autistic students are experiencing a surge in diagnosis, but are being left without the support they need due to cuts in funding and staffing.
Posted inEducation
Special Ed Isn’t Fair to Black Kids — and DEI Cuts Won’t Help
Black students are disproportionately placed in special education as a form of discipline rather than academic support, and if the Department of Education is dismantled, they will face even greater risks of being misclassified, underserved, or pushed further into academic isolation.
Posted inEducation
Five Education Moments That Impacted Black Students in 2024
In 2024, Black K-12 education faced significant moments that shaped the educational environment for Black students, including the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, laws restricting the teaching of AP African American Studies, persistent disparities in school discipline, racist text messages sent to Black students, and the nomination of Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education.
Posted inEducation
3 Ways Trump’s Plan Can Harm Kids with Disabilities
When Donald Trump vowed to close the Department of Education on the campaign trail, he joined a long line of powerful Republican politicians, including Ronald Reagan, to put that task […]