While the president’s cuts to vital federal agencies alarms me, it is the loss of the US Department of Education (ED) that compels me to write today. The Department of Education is the federal agency charged with overseeing the nation’s education policy, monitoring state compliance of education laws, and providing funds for our most vulnerable students.
As a parent advocate and 17-year member of the Lowell School Committee, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges a school district faces when it does not have the resources to meet the needs of its students. Lowell, like most school districts, still struggles with the aftermath of COVID-19, the worldwide pandemic that left millions dead and many traumatized.
Lowell schools are not alone in playing catch up to overcome learning loss, chronic absenteeism, staffing shortages, and dropout rates that skyrocketed during the pandemic. Like many urban, immigrant, and poorer communities, Lowell has also seen more families experiencing homelessness in recent years. In addition to educating children who face multiple challenges, the district must address ongoing workforce shortages in key roles, as well as high rates of anxiety and depression among students and staff.
Within this context, the president issued an Executive Order in mid-March to dismantle the Department of Education and redistribute its responsibilities to other agencies. While only Congress has the authority to close a federal agency, nearly 50% of ED staff have already been fired. By press time, there was no indication that Congress would safeguard the agency or its vital role in supporting the education of the nation’s children.
ED is responsible for making sure states oversee their school districts and provide students with a “free and appropriate education in the least restrictive setting,” as required by laws that took decades to achieve. If ED closes and that oversight responsibility moves to the Justice Department, as suggested, enforcing students’ rights will not be a priority. Without ED holding states (and their schools) accountable, more districts may ignore or delay compliance with special education laws and civil rights protections. If this occurs, we will see reduced services and inconsistent implementation of laws protecting the education of our most vulnerable students nationwide.
Despite what the administration claims, eliminating ED does more harm than good. States already have significant control of their education system both at the state level and locally. ED sets core standards of learning based on facts and what students need to compete internationally, most of which are modelled after Massachusetts.
While our state prides itself on good public schools and scores at the top of NAEP (the nation’s report card), Massachusetts is far from perfect. In recent years, ED cited the state for failing to monitor special education services and timelines as required. Many other states have also been cited. Without ED, more families will struggle to get services and will need to rely heavily on their state’s safeguards to resolve disputes. In Massachusetts, that is through the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA).
In addition to oversight, ED manages programs that provide states with grants, such as per-student funding for schools with high percentages of children from low-income families, special education services, and homeless students. ED also provides funding for programs that support teacher education, English-language learners, and school improvement grants. Like many districts, Lowell schools rely heavily on federal funds to level the playing field for students needing extra support.
For instance, 20% of Lowell students have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and receive special education services (which mirrors the state average), 29% are identified as English language learners, and 72% come from low-income families. In its current budget, Lowell received $10 million in federal grants, which fund 188 positions including tutors, nurses, paraprofessionals, special education staff, and bilingual family liaisons. Without these federal funds, the district will face a crisis in staffing to meet the needs of its at-risk students.
We are fortunate to live in a state that values its public schools, but without federal support for our most vulnerable students, Massachusetts will be hard-pressed to fill the financial void (as will every other state). The education of our children is at stake, but so is the future of our communities.
Now more than ever, we must stay informed and active in our advocacy to state and federal leaders. We must act together to amplify our voices and protect our children’s right to an education and our own collective future. Stay connected to The Arc for how you can make a difference.
Jackie Doherty is the Director of Education and Outreach at The Arc of Massachusetts and an elected member of the Lowell School Committee, the sixth largest school district in Massachusetts.
