Illinois Federation of Teachers Statement on the Dismantling of the Department of Education
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WESTMONT – Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Education firing 1,300 employees, effectively gutting the department:
“President Trump cannot dismantle the Department of Education without Congress, yet he is attempting to bypass the legislative process and override the will of the people. This is about consolidating power, rolling back civil rights, and diverting public funds to private interests. Legal experts agree that this move is unconstitutional and will face serious challenges, but the mere attempt exposes his reckless disregard for democracy and the rule of law. Public education is the backbone of our democracy, and his threats are a direct attack on it.
"In Illinois, the Department of Education supports more than 2 million children across 4,000 K-12 schools. The 1.3 million students at Title I schools rely on $778 million in federal funding. Students with disabilities are accommodated with $652 million in federal support. Additionally, $54 million in federal funding helps provide before- and after-school care for students with working parents.
“At the federal level, the Department of Education invests in two- and four-year colleges and trade development programs, making higher education and career training more accessible. The $63 billion in federal student loans and $1 billion in Pell Grants help 1.8 million students afford college. Eliminating the DOE and cutting these programs would devastate millions of students and families who rely on these critical resources. These cuts threaten the future of the American workforce and will shrink the middle class.
"The IFT and its 103,000 members will not back down. We will continue organizing, mobilizing, and fighting to protect our students, our schools, and the communities we serve. Trump's attacks on public education will not go unchallenged—we are ready, we are united."
Statement from IEA President Al Llorens on dismantling the Department of Education
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Education Association President Al Llorens released the following statement reacting to Donald Trump’s gutting of the U.S. Department of Education:
“The U.S. Department of Education (USED) was founded to help realize the promise of a quality public school for every student no matter where they live, the color of their skin or how much money their family makes. It does not dictate what schools teach kids or how they educate them. It is part of the fabric that IS public education in the United States and it is public education that works as the great equalizer for our country. Dismantling USED and firing up to 50 percent of its employees will have a profound effect on schools in Illinois. Several programs could be impacted, for instance:
More than 1,000 school districts in the state receive Title 1 money, funds set aside to help schools with the most impoverished students. This money helps 960,095 students in our state.
More than 1,000 districts also receive funding through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a federal law that ensures children with disabilities receive free and appropriate education. At least 295,261 Illinois students benefit from these funds.
Another 264,460 Illinois college students receive Pell grants – money to help the neediest students afford a college education.
And more than 28,000 students in Illinois are enrolled in Head Start, a program designed to support children’s growth from birth to age 5 through services centered around early learning and development.
These are valuable and needed initiatives that serve our most vulnerable. The Illinois Education Association knows, because we ask Illinoisans each spring about their opinions on public education in Illinois in our annual and bi-partisan State of Education in Illinois. Illinoisans report that:
Four in five schools in our state are already underfunded and 80 percent of our state believes funding for public education should increase.
Ninety-one percent of Illinoisans agree that every child in Illinois has a right to an education at a public school.
And, 92 percent believe that every child with a disability has the right to a public education in our state.
Only 11 percent of our state’s residents believe that politicians should have any voice in how public schools are run.
Cutting USED will be deeply harmful to Illinois students and our communities. Ninety percent of the students in our state attend public schools and 95 percent of students with disabilities are students within our buildings. Making broad-based cuts like those ordered today doesn’t affect faceless bureaucrats, it affects our kids. We will fight this action. As the largest educator organization in Illinois, it is our mission to do so.”
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The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.
Duckworth Statement After Trump and Elon Musk Gutted Education Department at the Expense of Children and Middle-Class Americans
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after Donald Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk took action to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, laying off more than 1,300 employees after nearly 600 accepted offers to leave voluntarily:
“By taking a chainsaw to our workforce at the Education Department, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are jeopardizing critical support for teachers, loan assistance for student borrowers and the promise of a quality education for our kids—especially those with disabilities and those living in low-income areas. Their chaos will inflict so much needless pain on children, parents, teachers, the future of our nation’s workforce and the American dream—and for what? So they can fund tax cuts for billionaires. As a mother of two girls, I am disgusted and mad as hell that Donald Trump would prioritize his uber-wealthy buddies at the expense of our children.”
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