AFT’s Weingarten Reacts to Gutting of Department of Education

WASHINGTON–AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after the Trump administration announced the firing of half of the staff of the U.S. Department of Education:

“Denuding an agency so it cannot function effectively is the most cowardly way of dismantling it.

“The massive reduction in force at the Education Department is an attack on opportunity that will gut the agency and its ability to support students, throwing federal education programs into chaos across the country. 

“Ten million students who rely on financial aid to go to college or pursue a trade will be left in limbo. States and districts will be forced to navigate funding crises without federal support, hurting millions of students with disabilities and students living in poverty. 

“This move will directly impact the 90 percent of students who attend public schools, by denying them the resources they need to thrive. That’s why Americans squarely oppose eliminating the Education Department. We are urging Congress—and the courts—to step in to ensure all students can maintain access to a high-quality public education.”