Democratic lawmakers in Michigan outlined the repercussions if the Trump administration’s efforts to defund the U.S. Department of Education are approved for the second time in a week.
State Representatives Kelly Breen (D-Novi), Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth), and state Senator Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) held a news conference at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 80 union hall in Southfield on Friday to specifically criticize President Donald Trump’s nominee for education secretary, Linda McMahon, and to generally denounce the administration’s actions with the department.
Our worst concerns were validated by what we heard. Speaking about McMahon’s confirmation hearings last week, McMorrow stated that McMahon is egregiously unfit and profoundly disconnected from the needs of kids.
McMahon is a prime example of Trump’s education plan, prioritizing billionaires and the wealthy at the expense of our students, educators, and families. She stated that we cannot afford to allow this to occur in Michigan.
Former World Wrestling Entertainment executive and significant Trump campaign donor McMahon stated last week before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions that she wanted to restructure the department to support educators rather than manage them, although she did not elaborate on what she meant by this. Additionally, she recommended moving special education funding and oversight outside of the department, as specified by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA.
IDEA is the same, but would it be more appropriate for another agency? “I don’t know,” McMahon said to the senators.
McMorrow claimed that the administration’s decision to block federal education funding, including to Head Start programs nationwide, followed by McMahon’s hearing had left parents and families feeling uneasy and afraid.
According to her, Michigan will suffer greatly if Trump gets his way. The federal government provides $461 million in assistance annually to more than 200,000 kids with special needs. Fifteen percent of Michigan’s special education funding goes for that help. Those resources vanish if the Department of Education is abolished.
Days before to the news conference, Dr. Michael Rice, the school superintendent of Michigan, and other education activists had expressed concern about the consequences of reducing federal support for public education.
Rice stated on Tuesday that the problem is that the President’s attack on the U.S. Department of Education is actually endangering our children’s programs and protections, and consequently, our children. Trump wants to dictate what is taught and who is served.
Rep. Breen reaffirmed that theme during Friday’s event, stating that the education department has no control over what pupils learn, despite what locals may have been taught by Trump and his followers.
It does not oversee public schools or mandate that we follow any certain set of educational guidelines. She responded, “Those rest still, here within our state.” Education groups, educators, and superintendents are already pointing out the false information for what it is. It is a flimsy attempt to regulate which kids get a good education and which don’t.
While curriculum standards are not set at the federal level, Koleszar, a former educator and member of the Michigan House Education and Workforce Committee, said the education department does manage a number of essential services, such as obtaining a Pell Grant for higher education or access to early intervention and pre-K programs.
According to him, the DOE safeguards our children’s civil rights in the classroom, making sure that no student faces racial or sexual discrimination and that all Michigan students have the chance to build a promising future for themselves.
Approximately $533 million of the nearly $2.3 billion in federal education funds Michigan receives annually, according to Koleszar, goes toward supporting special education programs for over 217,000 kids in public schools.
He claimed that despite the risks, Trump’s selection of McMahon as secretary of education is consistent with his overall style of governing.
According to him, a defining feature of Trump’s presidency has been the appointment of unfit billionaire friends to lead the DOE, first with Betsy DeVos and now with Linda McMahon.
Another affluent Trump supporter, DeVos served as Trump’s first term secretary of education.
“Look, I spent the majority of my life as a professional wrestling fan,” Koleszar chuckled. Linda McMahon is more competent to oversee the DOE than I am to head the WWE.
In order to put further pressure on the administration to change its direction, the lawmakers asked parents to get in touch with local, state, and federal representatives.
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