Oakland, CA — In response to today’s Executive Order calling for the dissolution of the U.S, Department of Education, Dr. Christopher J. Nellum, EdTrust-West executive director, issued the following statement:

“There is absolutely nothing in this executive order that will benefit California students or their families. Dismantling the Department of Education (ED) would mean abandoning them to a brutally separate but unequal education system and siphoning from the state much-needed financial resources to support education, hitting the most marginalized students hardest. This executive order is a reckless political stunt, and it threatens to leave families stuck with atrophied schools and steals financial aid from students who cannot afford college.

The current administration may be willing to sacrifice students’ futures for a shameless power grab, but we and others across the country will always have their backs.”

While this executive order does not close ED, it directs the Secretary of Education to do all she can to gut it. Closing ED entirely would require an act of Congress.

Federal funding at risk for California includes:

 

Please contact Mariel Matze at 510-879-6208 for support with further comment.

About EdTrust-West: EdTrust-West is an evidence-driven advocacy organization committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in California’s education system. For over two decades, EdTrust-West has worked to improve racial equity in education by engaging diverse communities and increasing political and public will to build an education system where students of color and multilingual learners will thrive. For more information, see edtrustwest.org.