SPRINGFIELD – Illinois elected officials and leaders of state educator groups have issued statements in response to a recent executive order issued by President Donald Trump dismantling the Department of Education.
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Gov. JB Pritzker’s Statement on Trump’s Executive Order to Dismantle the Department of Education
“President Trump has no plan to improve literacy, math scores, or get more teachers on the job. When Donald Trump attacks education, he is failing America because the success of our students is what will make our economy, future, and nation stronger.
“Eliminating the Department of Education will likely have harsh and immediate impacts on Illinois’ students. It will harm students and their families in rural communities who rely on federal funding to keep their schools open. It will remove supports students with disabilities and special needs rely upon. And low-income students who depend on Pell Grants to earn their college degrees will be forced to drop out.
“Making preschool more available, college degrees more affordable, and college readiness for K-12 students more attainable has been a primary focus of my administration. Our schools need more support not less, and we’ve made progress in Illinois: the recently released Nation’s Report Card shows that despite the setbacks of the pandemic, our state’s eighth graders have the second highest reading scores fifth highest math scores in the United States. And Illinois’ high school graduation rate is the highest in 14 years.
“Education is foundational to the success of our people, our state and the future of America. Our schools serve as centers of community, feed our children, and prepare them for careers that fuel our economy. We must empower our teachers and students to succeed – no matter their background and across every rural, suburban, and urban area in Illinois.
“All the best research shows that focusing dollars on our children is one of the most fiscally responsible investments we can make: it reduces future expenditures and offers one of the highest returns on investment. It yields a higher high school graduation rate, a higher college attendance rate, greater lifetime earnings, lower healthcare costs, lower crime rates, and an overall reduction in the need for human services spending. Nowhere is this more evident than with the students who have historically been left out and left behind. Investing in our children’s education pays off—and it’s the right thing to do.”
Attorney General Kwame Raoul Issues Statement On Trump Administration’s Latest Unlawful Attempt To Dismantle Department Of Education
“President Trump’s executive order is no more legal than his other actions intended to dismantle the Department of Education. Decimating the department’s workforce, then signing today’s executive order while simultaneously directing the continuation of critical programs and services is ludicrous.
“States, including Illinois, are already feeling the impact of the Trump administration’s actions. On March 11, all staff in a Chicago branch of the department’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) were laid off, completely closing the office. For decades, the OCR has protected American students’ civil rights – from ensuring that students with disabilities have equal access to classrooms, to protecting students from discrimination and harassment. Students who could previously rely on the OCR to address potential violations of their civil rights must now go to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), which is already experiencing a higher call volume for such disputes. Yet ISBE has neither the funding nor the equipment to resolve them.
“Furthermore, millions of students count on the Department of Education to promptly process requests for student aid as they finalize their postsecondary plans. Enrollment deadlines for Illinois’ public community colleges and universities approach in a few short weeks, and the turmoil caused by the administration’s actions jeopardizes the futures of tens of thousands of Illinois students who depend upon the prompt processing of FAFSAs to finalize their plans.
“The Trump administration’s actions are unlawful, unconstitutional and most negatively impact students who have the most need for the Department of Education’s programs and services. I am firmly committed to continuing to fight for all students, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or ability, to have access to quality educations and the opportunity it affords.”
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin Statement On Trump Executive Order To Demolish The Department Of Education
“President Trump’s dangerous demagoguery knows no bounds. Shredding the Department of Education, a federal agency dedicated to the success of the next generation, is depraved and deeply damaging to the future of this country.
“Trump’s formula for American greatness: Eliminate federal aid to schools and cut medical research. What a fool.”
Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski’s Statement on President Trump Dismantling the Department of Education
“President Trump’s directive to shut down the Department of Education is one of his most destructive actions yet. This department plays a critical role in helping Americans afford college, supporting students with special needs, and ensuring every child – no matter their zip code – has access to a high-quality education,” said Budzinski. “Not only will this move help to dismantle our public education system, it is blatant overreach of executive authority. I invite my Republican colleagues to bring this measure to the floor — let them explain to the families in their districts why they are voting to take away critical education programs their children rely on.”
Illinois Federation of Teachers Statement on Trump’s Illegal Elimination of the U.S. Department of Education
Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery issued the following statement:
“Education is the bedrock of American democracy. Eliminating the U.S. Department of Education by shuttering the agency and reassigning its duties would devastate millions of children, families, and communities. In Illinois, more than 2 million children in 4,000 preK-12 schools rely on Department of Education dollars — including 1.3 million low-income students who depend on $778 million in federal funding for critical support like free and reduced lunches and afterschool programs that help working parents. Students with disabilities depend on $652 million in federal aid for the services they need to learn and thrive. Nationwide, the department invests in higher education and workforce training, with $63 billion in student loans and $1 billion in Pell Grants that help 1.8 million students afford college and build a better future.
“We call on Congress to oppose this blatant attempt to siphon public dollars away from students and families and into the pockets of the wealthy through tax breaks and private school vouchers. Dismantling the Department of Education will destabilize working families and reward the rich and powerful at the expense of our students. The stakes could not be higher: A free, high-quality education for every student is not just a pathway to a livable future, it is the very foundation of our nation."
Statement from IEA President Al Llorens on Dismantling the Department of Education
“Gutting the U.S. Department of Education means gutting some of the most important programs our public schools provide to the most vulnerable students and that doesn’t make any country greater.
Educators and parents agree that America’s students need more opportunities to succeed and the one way to do that is to strengthen the public schools. Public schools are home to 90 percent of the country’s students and 95 percent of special education students. Public schools are the great equalizer and programs for them should not be cut to give millionaires and billionaires deeper tax cuts. In a country of opportunity like ours, there is no reason to make the rich richer off the backs of our children who need the most services.
No matter where students live in Illinois, DuQuoin to Rockford and the Quad Cities to Effingham, our students deserve the best we have to offer. The federal education department does not guide curriculum in our state. It does not decide what our children will learn. However, it does provide funding for special education programs, food for our neediest children and grants to send our poorest students to college.
We are asking Illinoisans to stand up to protect Illinois’s students. Here are three easy steps:
Ask your Congressional members to fight back.
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Print out this sign and hang it in your window.
What’s happening now is a reverse Robin Hood – taking from the needy to give to the ultra-wealthy. And, we shouldn’t stand for it. We also know that Illinoisans don’t support this idea. Through our annual State of Education in Illinois bipartisan polling, we know:
80 percent of our state believes funding for public education should increase.
91 percent agree that every child in Illinois has a right to an education at a public school.
92 percent believe every child with a disability has the right to a public education in our state.
Only 11 percent of our state’s adults believe politicians should have any voice in how public schools operate.
Today’s actions are harmful to Illinois students and communities. These cuts harm our children, our students. As the largest education organization in our state, we will continue to fight and we urge other Illinoisans to do the same.”
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