The day after the United States Education Department dismissed over 1,000 employees – cutting almost half of their staff – local educational organizations tried to spread, which means changes for schools and students.
President Donald Trump said that he wanted to eliminate the department, giving countries and parents more control over schools.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon repeatedly referred to the “final mission” of the department and stated in a statement that reductions show “the department’s involvement in performance, responsibility and assurance that resources are directed where they matter: students, parents and teachers. This is a significant step towards restoring the size of the United States education system. “
Inquirer learned that the Civil Rights Office in Philadelphia Philadelphia is also over. The office is a regional center of the Civil Rights Office, which, among other things, deals with the fears of parents and the community for possible discrimination and violation of special education.
What is the education department doing?
Established in 1979, the Education Department has two tent functions: supervision providing – for disabled students, homeless and other students – and the distribution of billions of dollars through student loans and assistance for universities.
But the Federation of Teachers Philadelphia, President Arthur Steinberg, noticed on Wednesday at a press conference: “What Doe does not do is a fixed curriculum. All he does is make sure that the rules are enforced and the money flows to the States. “
Issues such as the books read by students and which sports teams students can play, were problems in the presidential election in November, but these are the range of local school boards, not the Federal Education Department.
What does the Civil Rights Office do?
The exemptions influenced the Office of the Department of Civil Rights. OCR, as is known, is “ensuring equal access to education and promoting educational perfection through vigorous enforcement of civil rights in the schools of our nation,” he says. Employees examine cases related to sexual and racial harassment, disabled services, ensuring that schools were provided with free and adequate public education and more.
Many local agencies are the subject of current OCR research; School District in Philadelphia Only five open cases.
Steinberg said that among the problems they raise, he becomes what happens to hundreds of investigations on civil rights.
In fact, the department himself said this week that his arrears were too great, noting in a message that law enforcement staff was said “resolving arrears on complaints about anti -Semitic violence and harassment, many of which were allowed to purify the unresolved within the previous administration, immediate priority.”
What do changes mean for local districts?
It was not clear at once, which would dramatically reduce the workforce, it would mean daily school operations.
But the possibilities are worried that Dan McGARRY, a curator of the Darby universities. He said that officials are trying to “complement”, but it is hard, and the changes coming quickly and furious, and sometimes include conflicting information. One thing is clear.
“The loss of federal financing would have a significant impact,” said McGarry. Upper Darby, like many districts that educate a enormous number of students from families in an adverse economic situation, including Philadelphia, are largely based on the fund funds and, which go to such schools.
“Title and finances salaries,” said McGarry. “It would be a serious, serious problem.”
Teachers’ training in title II; Title III finances students in English.
McGarry said that even if there is no immediate financial influence, it is clear that at any time.
“We just have to stay as slim and focused as possible,” he said.
Upper Darby discovers the closing of one of his schools, Charles Kelly Elementary to save money. The school management decided to keep the school open another year, but it seems ready to order it next year.
“It’s terrible thinking in this way, but with such a high financial uncertainty, which is facing the school district from the federal government, we must think this way,” said McGARRY.
Steinberg, President of PFT, called the exemptions and confusion “a continuous attempt of Trump’s administration in order to postpone taxpayers’ funds to billionaires.”
Pottstown superintendent Stephen Rodriguez said he was monitored by federal changes. The Montgomery District has $ 3.6 million in federal funds, which is a fraction of the proposed budget of $ 96 million.
Rodriguez said that, however, in an underfunded chronically underfunded district, state funds are a bigger problem.
“I look at a deficiency of $ 9 million, regardless of what is happening in the US Doe,” said Rodriguez, who cited inflation and other cost pressure, such as tuition cyber charter school.
Rodriguez noticed that federal grants have “a lot of strings and working hours and fundamentally non -financed fines related to them.” If the current federal financing streams are continued, but with smaller regulations imposed on school, “there may be some positive aspects,” he said.
Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. He said that Philadelphia receives about 10% of financing from the federal government. He said he didn’t receive a word about potential cuts.
“We were good managers of federal financing, which we received during and from Pandemia and we will continue to reach our legislators in the Congress, confirming how the strategic use of this financing allowed us to meet the unique needs of our disabled students and led to a significant increase in mathematics assessment and reading testing, participation of the student and studies, as well student stake, “he said in Atlington.
What does this mean for universities?
Local universities and universities are also preparing for influence.
Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, the National Group of Higher Education, called the cuts “irresponsible and harmful”, and called for administration and congress to reverse the course, especially in the delicate of the role of the Department supervising the student assistance programs, financing the title and the office for civil rights.
“This movement exposes the effectiveness of these programs, only causes chaos and confusion, and in long -term threatens the future of millions of students who serve these programs,” said Mitchell in a statement.
Is there any appeal?
Deborah Gordon Klehr, Executive Director of Education Law Center-PA, said that the exemptions would probably be questioned in court.
The potential influence is the grave, said Gordon Klehr, who added that the attempt to abolish Doe by the executive order, as Trump signaled, would be debatable; Only Congress has permissions to do so.
“Looking or eliminating the department will certainly mean less federal resources for our most underfunded schools and a lack of federal supervision,” said Gordon Klehr in a statement.
“In addition to the financing it provides, the Department played an important role in the development of educational equality in other ways: studying promising practices; Ensuring effective implementation of federal education provisions through supervision, monitoring and guidelines for school states and districts; and protection of students against discrimination by enforcing civil rights – said Gordon Klehr. “One of the necessary functions of the department was to deal with unevenness affecting black and brown students, disabled students, poverty students, LGBTQ+ and multilingual youth.”
Neil Makhija, a democrat, who is chaired by the management board of Montgomery’s commissioners, is worried about the potential solution of federal financing.
Makhija said that students throughout Montgomery can face the bodies of $ 135 million – from $ 28 million for disabled students to $ 26 million for meals and snacks in children’s care centers and $ 30 million Pell subsidies for students in Montgomery County Community College.
“Their argument is that we do not get rid of financing. But … when you release everyone, there is no one who could administer financing, “Machija said, adding that the county” was essentially spiritual “by the Department of Housing and Development of Cities in the promised subsidies for residents of rehabilitation programs.
Makhija said that Montgomery is preparing for this script, employing more employees at the lawyer’s office.
“We will fight for every penny in the courts,” he said.
