California schools chief vows to resist funding cuts if Trump fires US Department of Education

This story was originally published by EdSource.

California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on Friday vowed to fight President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, which he said poses “a clear threat to what our students need to have a good education and a great life.” »

“We can’t be caught off guard,” Thurmond said during a news conference.

Thurmond made his announcement in Sacramento on Friday surrounded by lawmakers and education and labor leaders holding signs that read “Education for All” and “Protect All Students.”

Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump vowed to abolish the agency, a long-standing and still unfulfilled promise made by Republican leaders dating back to former President Ronald Reagan.

Thurmond said there are concerns that eliminating the department would jeopardize about $8 billion that California receives in federal funds for programs serving students with disabilities and those who attend low-income schools, both public and private.

“We won’t let this happen,” he said. “The law will not allow this to happen.”

He noted, for example, that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, known as IDEA, guarantees special education students a “free and appropriate education” and a range of special education services as part of an individualized education program tailored to each individual. special education student.

Thurmond said Trump’s plan to protect the Education Department would also harm students whose civil rights are violated and investigated by the Office of Civil Rights, including victims of racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, hatred and bias against LGBTQ students.

“Disrupting and dismantling an organization that protects our students is a threat to the well-being of our students, our families and Americans,” Thurmond said.

It’s also unclear what will happen to student financial aid, which is administered by the department, Thurmond said.

The first line of defense against Trump’s education plan is Congress, Thurmond said. He said his department is reaching out to lawmakers to reaffirm their commitment to public education, an issue that he said transcends partisan labels.

“Let me be clear,” Thurmond said. “This is not a partisan issue. It is a matter of continuing to ensure that students have access to the resources to which they are legally entitled. And we will continue to do so and work with members of Congress, asking them to stand up and support our students.”

But Thurmond said the California Department of Education is also preparing for a worst-case scenario: a massive cut in federal funding. In this case, he said he is working with the California Legislature on a backup plan.

“If it comes down to it, we are prepared, as a contingency, to pass legislation that would provide additional funding for special education programs, Title I programs and programs of similar scope,” Thurmond said. Title I money supplements state and local education funding for low-income students.

Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, said the state is ready to stand up for all students targeted by Trump’s policy proposals and rhetoric. He pointed to the threat of deporting undocumented immigrants, which would harm large numbers of immigrant children, as well as threats to other students.

“This is the job of every teacher, every school board member, every principal, every elected representative in the state of California who believes in public education. It’s time for us to stand up for all these children,” he said. “When we are faced with a bully who attacks our most vulnerable students, we all need to stand up.”

“We need to prepare now for what begins on January 20,” Muratsuchi said, referring to Trump’s second inauguration.

In 2017 California codified into state law certain federal laws or court decisions to protect the educational rights of immigrant studentssaid Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez, associate director of Californians Together, a statewide coalition that advocates for immigrants and multilingual students.

In the wake of Trump’s attacks on immigrants, Cruz-Gonzalez said it is important to remind school staff of these protections so that students and their families continue to feel safe and protected when they attend school.

“It’s not enough to know that we have laws,” Cruz-Gonzalez said. “We must work together as a coalition and ensure that our superintendents, school board members and our teachers know what to do to protect these rights.”

The right to a public education is “the cornerstone of democracy,” said Chinua Rhodes, a school board member for the Sacramento City Unified School District.

“This is not just a political battle, this is a moral battle,” Rhodes said. “Our schools should not abandon those most in need.”

Louis Friedberg contributed to this report.