Tag: education

Showdown Looms Over Trump’s DEI Ban in Public Schools

Several blue states have joined New York in resisting federal efforts to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in public schools.

Leaders in California, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Washington said they wouldn’t provide a signed statement to the federal government by an April 24 deadline to certify compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order prohibiting practices such as diversity training, affinity groups by race and gender, preferential hiring practices by race, and classroom curricula that include progressive ideologies such as critical race theory.

The federal correspondence sent to state education agencies asked leaders to report back on behalf of all their school districts. New York was the first state to dismiss the request, and the other states followed suit last week.

“There is nothing in state or federal law—including Title VI—that outlaws the broad concepts of ‘diversity,‘ ‘equity,’ or ’inclusion,’” David Schapira, California Department of Education deputy superintendent, wrote in an April 11 letter to school districts.

States and districts that don’t comply risk losing federal education funding in accordance with Civil Rights law and a 2023 Supreme Court decision banning racial preferences in college admissions, the federal letter states.

It’s unclear where other states stand in this process. The Department of Education informed The Epoch Times that Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth, had complied with the order, but the agency had not reported updates by state.

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The Education Bureaucrats Are Still Coming For America’s Children

Last month, President Trump started making good on a campaign promise to end federal tyranny over American education. After his newly minted Secretary of Education Linda McMahon laid off roughly half of her department’s workforce, the president signed an executive order directing her to preside over the complete elimination of the department.

Needless to say, the usual suspects in the educational establishment are very upset by this move to crush an important revenue stream. After the mass firings, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten whined that “denuding an agency so it cannot function effectively is the most cowardly way of dismantling it.” She made no mention of her own cowardice in the face of Covid-19, which provoked the revolution in education that she and her cronies have spent the past several years trying to suppress.

While the proposed demise of the Department of Education is certainly a reason for celebration, educational reformers must keep the pressure on. Educrats (especially teachers unions) still have very deep pockets combined with a complete lack of conscience regarding their effect on American children, so it will take more than just the end of the federal government’s covering fire to slay this dragon.

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Education Secretary Linda McMahon Announces New Title IX Special Investigations Team: “We will not permit you to trample on women’s rights any longer”

Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced the creation of the Title IX Special Investigations Team in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The initiative aims to expedite investigations and enforce Title IX regulations to protect female students and athletes, particularly in response to concerns about men participating in women’s sports and accessing women’s restrooms and locker rooms.

McMahon emphasized that this move aligns with the Trump administration’s priority to uphold Title IX, ensuring rapid and consistent action to address potential violations by educational institutions.

McMahon shared the announcement on X.

“Today, the Department of Education, alongside the Department of Justice, is proud to announce the creation of the Title IX Special Investigations Team, consisting of attorneys and investigators from both of our agencies to adjudicate our ever-increasing volume of Title IX investigations.”

“We have received a staggering number of complaints about men competing in women’s sports and invading women-only intimate spaces.”

“That’s why we’re partnering with the County General Bonde’s team to move even faster in order to protect women and girls.”

“The establishment of this team will benefit women and girls across this nation who have been subjected to discrimination and indignity in their educational activities.”

“To all entities receiving federal funding who continue to allow these illegal practices, we will not permit you to trample on women’s rights any longer.”

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Supreme Court Shuts Down Activist Judge, Lets Trump Cut $250 Million In DEI Training For Teachers

The Supreme Court on Friday overruled an activist judge in Boston, allowing the Trump administration to slash $250 million for more than 100 teacher training grants for DEI and other woke programs.

In a 5-4 decision nine days after the request, the Supremes sided with the Trump administration’s emergency request to stay the court order by judge Myong J. Joun of the federal District of Massachusetts – who had ordered the Trump administration to “immediately restore” the “pre-existing status quo prior to the termination.”

According to the ruling – which is likely to narrow the ability of district courts to halt agency actions involving grant function, Joun lacked authority to order the Trump admin to restore the funding.

In his ruling, Myong sided with California and eight other blue states that argued that the cuts were likely driven by efforts by the Trump administration to gut DEI programs (duh).

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Virginia parents’ fury as school puts up ABCs display… starting with ‘A is for abortion’

A Virginia high school is facing fierce backlash after putting up an alphabet display for Women’s History Month that highlighted abortion and the transgender flag.

West Springfield High School, in Fairfax County, put up the controversial ABCs display in March, reported The Daily Signal.

Shocking images from the project include a poster that stated, ‘A is for Abortion’ and showed a pregnancy test and a coat hanger. 

The first letter alone prompted sharp criticism online from concerned community members who felt the project was politicizing women’s history.

‘Titled “ABCs to Me,” the letter “A” is not for a notable woman of history such as Aviator Amelia Earhart; rather, “A is for Abortion,” accompanied by an image of a coat hanger and a positive pregnancy test. I am not ok with this, and no one should be!’ one person said.

‘The A is a picture of a hanger and a pregnancy test. What in the H is wrong with this school? Fire this person or shut this place down,’ said another.

A third person added, ‘A is for athleticism or a is for achievement or a is for aspirations. No, they went with abortion. Because that defines a woman?’

‘How about A is for Apple and T is for turtle? We must protect the children’s innocence,’ said a fourth.

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Feds Investigating Maine DOE Over Allegations That Schools Are Hiding Gender Transitions from Parents

The U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation into the Maine Department of Education over allegations that schools in the state may have violated federal law by hiding student gender transitions from parents.

The probe, announced on Friday, will look for breaches of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The U.S. D.O.E. said in a press release:

This investigation comes amid reports that dozens of Maine school districts are violating or misusing FERPA by maintaining policies that infringe on parents’ rights. The districts’ policies allegedly allow for schools to create “gender plans” supporting a student’s “transgender identity” and then claim those plans are not education records under FERPA and therefore not available to parents.

This action, alongside SPPO’s investigation initiated yesterday into the California Department of Education, is in furtherance of U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon’s directives to strengthen FERPA enforcement by taking action against schools misusing FERPA and clearing the backlog of complaints submitted to SPPO that accumulated under the Biden Administration.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Education said in a statement, “We take seriously any allegations that schools or state agencies may be denying parents their lawful rights to access their children’s education records. This investigation will determine if Maine’s policies and practices align with federal law.”

“Parents and guardians have the right to access their child’s education records to guide and safeguard their child’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Any policy to the contrary is both illegal and immoral,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet with several young people who shared their detransitioning stories. It is deeply concerning to hear that teachers and school counselors in Maine are reportedly encouraging and helping students to undergo so-called ‘gender transitions’ while keeping parents in the dark. The Trump Administration will enforce all federal laws to safeguard students and families.”

Parents Defending Education Founder and President Nicole Neily said of the investigation, “Under the previous Administration, we were fighting to protect our children from irreversible ‘sex changes’ – a path too often facilitated by school personnel who we entrusted with our children. We are proud to stand with President Trump and Secretary McMahon to hold school districts accountable and ensure no child is socially transitioned behind parent’s backs by teachers or administrators,”

Maine’s Department of Education has not yet issued a statement addressing the matter.

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Top Five Reasons To End The US Department Of Education

The US Department of Education is in the Trump administration’s crosshairs. Here are five major reasons it should be:

1. It’s unconstitutional: Education is nowhere among the specific, enumerated powers given to the federal government. That means the feds have no authority to govern in education. Even the big-government administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt knew that. In 1943, the US Constitution Sesquicentennial Commission, which Roosevelt chaired, published a document that included the following: “Q. Where, in the Constitution, is there mention of education? A. There is none; education is a matter reserved for the states.”

2. It’s ineffective: As indicated by the chart below, in K–12 education there is no meaningful evidence that the department, or federal spending generally, has improved education outcomes. While federal spending has risen, National Assessment of Educational Progress outcomes have largely stagnated. Of course, standardized test scores might not be a great barometer of how well the education system is working, but it is the feds that elevated them under the No Child Left Behind Act, Race to the Top, and Common Core. So by Washington’s own measure, it has not been very effective.

3. It’s incompetent: US ED’s biggest job is to administer federal student aid programs, especially student loans. But as the Government Accountability Office recently reported, US ED has failed at basic functions like tracking repayments for years. Heck, it could not even simplify the form to apply for aid without creating havoc.

4. It’s unnecessary: We had been educating kids for centuries before the department launched in 1980 and leading the world economically, technologically, and more. And US ED’s own mission statement is full of words such as “promote” and “supplement,” not “control” or “run.” Because states, districts, families, and educators are responsible for education, not Washington.

5. It’s expensive: Until recently, the department employed nearly 4,200 people and cost about $2.8 billion for salaries and expenses. And that’s setting aside all of the money it distributes and programs it runs, which are not about the department itself but tally hundreds of billions of dollars a year, depending on how you account for the huge, murky, unconstitutional student loan programs.

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Teachers’ Unions Put Their Own Interests Over Students Futures! Union Boss Randi Weingarten Threatens Lawsuit After President Trump’s Order Dismantling the Incompetent Board of Education!

In a move that should outrage every parent in America, teachers union boss Randi Weingarten is threatening legal action to stop President Trump’s executive order dismantling the Department of Education.

Instead of supporting a plan that puts more money and control in the hands of parents and states, Weingarten and her union are fighting to keep the corrupt failing D.C. bureaucracy intact—prioritizing their own power over the success of America’s children.

For decades, the Department of Education has spent over $3 trillion while test scores have plummeted, in including Democrat-run cities where students are trapped in failing schools. Nearly three-quarters of eighth graders can’t do basic math, and seven-in-ten struggle to read. But instead of fixing this disaster, Weingarten and her union (American Federation of Teachers) is focused on keeping their political machine running—blocking reforms, protecting bad teachers at the expense of students, and demanding more taxpayer money with nothing to show for it EXCEPT BAD RESULTS.

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Trump Signs Order Eliminating Department Of Education “Once And For All”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said all the critical functions of the Department of Education will remain, ahead of President Trump signing an executive order to dismantle the federal agency.

“The Department of Education will be much smaller than it is today. As you know, the president’s executive order directed Linda McMahon to greatly minimize the agency. So, when it comes to student loans and Pell Grants, those will still be run out of the Department of Education,” she told reporters at the White House, referring to McMahon, the Education secretary. 

“The great responsibility of educating our nation’s students will return to the states. Any critical functions of the department … will remain,” Leavitt added.

Leavitt’s comment comes as the president said he wants the department completely eliminated, but that would require an act of Congress, which is unlikely to happen since 60 votes would be needed in the Senate.

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As Zachary Stieber detailed earlier, via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on March 20 that will facilitate the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, taking a step toward fulfilling a campaign pledge.

The order, which has been under preparation for weeks, will be signed at a White House event with several Republican governors and state education commissioners in attendance, as confirmed by the White House. The plan was first reported by USA Today.

Trump will direct his recently confirmed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all required steps to prepare for the closure of the Education Department and transfer its authority to the states, according to a White House fact sheet obtained by NTD TV, sister media of The Epoch Times.

According to the fact sheet, the order also aims to ensure that, throughout the process, there is no disruption in the delivery of services, programs, and benefits that Americans rely on.

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