How dismantling the Department of Education would impact students

By Rosemary N.

The Trump administration is attempting to dismantle the Department of Education.

The Department of Education was created by Congress in 1979 “under Public Law 96-88 as part of national efforts to provide equal access to education for all,” according to the Center for American Progress.

The department helps schools that are labeled as “Title I.” CATS is a Title I school, which is a school that receives federal funding based on a certain percentage of students identifying as low-income.

Trump’s new policies have instilled fear and would affect many Title I schools.

Ms. Audrey Greene, an English Learner designee and coordinator at CATS, said “I can’t imagine it changing. I have a hard time imagining it…because that’s a nightmare.”

The current president’s new policies would have a big effect on Title I schools and students’ education in various ways.

For example, schools wouldn’t be receiving enough funding, they would lose resources and programs, and people who work at a Title 1 school could lose their jobs there because there wouldn’t be enough funding to cover their position.

According to Ms. Jennifer Lamb, the intervention/prevention coordinator for CATS, “we are going to lose resources such as Chromebooks, books, just the everyday necessities in the classroom.”

She said one of the concerns is, “how will we be able to keep certain programs like after school programs available because money, you know we need [that] funding.“

Similarly Ms. Cassandra Ortiz, a Special Education teacher, added “Some of the changes that we can expect, I would say in terms of policies, would be just losing a lot of programs that we have. So for example, supporting students with disabilities, supporting students who are low-income, I think a lot about our, even like, free and reduced lunch programs.”

Ms. Greene mentioned how our school would definitely take a big hit because our school would lose essential positions, like our social worker and our attendance counselor.

She shared “losing funding means that itinerant positions will probably be lost, so Ms. Wesley, our PSW, Mr. Almeida, our PSA, as far as ensuring that students are in school.”

Ms. Ortiz, however is hopeful that the staff and school will try its best to deal with the potential impacts.

“I think that regardless of whatever happens, they’re gonna be able to come together and try to solve the problem and it’s not gonna be whatever happens, it’s not gonna be perfect, but I know we’re gonna try our best to do what we can here,” she said.

Ms. Greene said, “I stand for my career, I’m here I serve the community. I continue to show up to this community because this is a community that I love to serve, and I am willing and always willing to go above and beyond to make sure that our students are safe.”

It’s important to note that recently a federal judge blocked the Trump Administration from attempting to shut down the Department of Education.