On March 12, President Trump moved forward with one of his most troubling campaign promises to dismantle the Department of Education (ED) by beginning sweeping staffing cuts. Like many of his actions and directives over the last six weeks, this is a blatant act of disregard for the rule of law and is also an attack on our nation’s children. 

Since its creation in 1980, the Department of Education has provided robust support for the 90% of K-12 students who attend public schools in the United States. Critical funding, civil rights enforcement, school environment guidance, and research have allowed generations of students to learn, grow, and become active participants in what should be a multiracial democracy. This overreach of the President’s power would hurt students and families nationwide, especially those from marginalized and low-income backgrounds by diminishing essential resources. 

In a statement, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a network of four independent Asian American civil rights organizations, condemned the action. 

“We are troubled by the President’s threats to abolish the Department of Education. The loss of the Department’s crucial staff raises key concerns for the over 2.7 million Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students that we serve, 20% of whom are students with disabilities and 10% of whom are English Learners who face social and systemic stigma. AANHPI students have long suffered the harm of the ‘model minority’ myth, which has caused them to be overlooked for both educational support and protection from discrimination. The ED has also provided guidance on language access for families navigating the school systems to support their children.

“The ED’s distribution of funding, guidelines for inclusive learning climates, and civil rights enforcement has provided AANHPI and other marginalized students with access to opportunities to thrive. Indeed, one of our own affiliates filed a complaint with the ED’s Office for Civil Rights just two weeks ago, outlining systemic failures of the Fulton County School District in Georgia to protect students from pervasive discrimination. The Department has also played a vital role in collecting disaggregated data about students and schools, providing critical insight into our communities, whose diversity is often overlooked or ignored.

“The President and his administration’s gutting of the ED is not only an abuse of power but shows that they are willing to put students and their futures on the chopping block to silence ideas they disagree with and encourage division. We won’t stand down in our fight to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all students.” 

Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of four leading Asian American civil rights organizations committed to advancing the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and building a more just society for all.

Related