Trump's dismantling of Education Department will hurt millions of students: Here's why it matters

A fewer miles from the beauteous achromatic sands of Fort Lauderdale’s beaches, you volition find my alma mater, Fort Lauderdale High School, connected the country of Northeast 4th Avenue and 16th Street. 

Back successful my day, Fort Lauderdale High School, location of the "Flying L’s," was a safe, thriving and welcoming spot filled with teachers who were mentors, motivators and our biggest cheerleaders. They stayed aft schoolhouse to assistance struggling students, pushed america to judge successful our potential, and made definite kids from working-class families had entree to a coagulated nationalist education. 

That nationalist acquisition paved the mode to college, postgraduate school, and ultimately, my career.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and President Donald Trump (Getty Images)

Like truthful galore nationalist schools crossed America, Fort Lauderdale High is simply a Title I school, meaning it receives national dollars to enactment students from low-income families. Title I isn’t conscionable a backing mechanics – it’s a lifeline for students seeking the acquisition they deserve, careless of zip code. 

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These funds enactment everything from hiring and retaining prime teachers to after-school programs that springiness kids a harmless spot to larn and grow. Today, much than 26 cardinal students nationwide beryllium connected Title I backing that ensures entree to the aforesaid opportunities their peers receive. 

However, Title I has been underfunded for decades, forcing schools to bash much with little and agelong each dollar truthful students don’t get near behind. 

President Donald Trump’s dismantling of the Department of Education volition devastate Fort Lauderdale High and countless different schools, which raises an important issue: astir folks bash not truly cognize what the Department of Education does. 

WHY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS GOING TO RIP

At its core, the Department of Education helps each kid person entree to a prime education, nary substance wherever they live. It besides enforces civilian rights protections, oversees national pupil assistance and ensures that schools serving low-income communities person the backing they need. 

Without national oversight and funding, programs similar Title I could vanish oregon beryllium tally by misguided authorities lawmakers deadset connected upending backing models based connected adjacent attraction nether the law, leaving students without captious support. Public schools are already facing tremendous challenges, and stripping distant these resources would widen the spread betwixt affluent and low-income communities, making it adjacent harder for moving families to entree high-quality education.

Like me, much than 83% of America’s young radical be nationalist schools. They merit large mathematics teachers, dynamic statement coaches, well-prepared subject educators, precocious placement classes, art, drama, civics, and overmuch more. And portion immoderate reason that schoolhouse prime is the answer, the world is that a family's champion prime should beryllium their vicinity nationalist school. 

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Instead of strengthening that choice, Trump’s program and misguided attempts by authorities lawmakers to propulsion guardant backstage schoolhouse vouchers and different backstage alternatives volition destabilize some municipality and agrarian schools, making it harder – not easier – for families to find prime acquisition options.

This isn’t conscionable astir policy. It’s astir people. It’s astir the millions of students who trust connected their nationalist schools to springiness them a warring accidental successful life. It’s astir the teachers who aftermath up each morning, determined to marque a difference, adjacent arsenic they’re vilified and underpaid. It’s astir the communities that trust connected nationalist schools, not conscionable arsenic learning centers, but harmless havens, repast providers and the launching pad for lifelong dreams. 

Lawmakers connected the close often accent the value of household values, hard enactment and opportunity. But what greater concern successful American families is determination than providing each kid entree to a high-quality education?

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Dismantling the Department of Education isn’t astir cutting bureaucracy – it’s astir cutting the aboriginal of America’s children. We should beryllium investing successful our nationalist schools, not tearing them apart. Leaving Title I successful limbo would person a catastrophic effect connected students, nationalist schoolhouse educators and communities nationwide. 

That’s wherefore our children merit much thoughtful argumentation solutions that volition guarantee each 1 of them has entree to a high-quality acquisition – nary substance wherever they unrecorded oregon however overmuch their parents make. 

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