President Trump signed an executive order Thursday to shut down the U.S. Department of Education. The White House has not detailed which functions of the Education Department are to be outright eliminated or reassigned to other agencies. It would take an act of Congress to dismantle it, but we have already seen changes and cuts leading up to the order. The Trump administration cut the workforce by half including staff at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights that is charged with stopping discrimination against students based on race, origin, sex, age, and disability.
The Education Department distributes billions of dollars to schools, oversees federal student loans, and regulates equity in education by enforcing laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 that prohibits discrimination based on disability. Central Florida Public Media education reporter Danielle Prieur joins Engage to discuss the impact of the cuts on Central Florida students, families, and communities.
A Seminole County family is sharing their concerns about cuts to the U.S. Department of Education reducing the services that serve students with special needs. David White is the father of six including a son with complex medical needs who has an Individualized Education Plan and medical management plans.
When Hayden was born, he was less than two pounds and given less than a 5% chance of survival. Today, he is eight years-old, non-verbal and wheelchair bound. David said there are periods when his son is getting better, and other times when he regresses and things turn for the worse. David White joins Engage to talk about the changes at the U.S. Department of Education and the protections in place for his son.
When we reached out the Florida Department of Education, they directed us to an opinion article published in the Wall Street Journal Tuesday written by Governor DeSantis. It’s titled, "Good Riddance to the U.S. Education Department." In it, he supports abolishing the department and reinvigorating state control of education.
