Weingarten Warns of Potential Harm to Students from Department of Education Closure Amidst Trump’s Executive Order

Randi Weingarten, the influential president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), has voiced strong concerns regarding the potential negative impact on students if the Department of Education is shuttered. Her warning comes in response to President Donald Trump’s recent executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to initiate the process of dismantling the department and returning educational authority to the individual states.

Weingarten drew parallels to the detrimental effects of prolonged school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the importance of ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted transition to avoid further disruption to students’ education. She cautioned against a hasty or ill-planned dismantling of the department, stating that actions such as layoffs and the shutdown of essential online services could inadvertently harm students.

"What I don’t want is, I don’t want it so shut down in so many ways that kids are really hurt. And then somebody says, ‘Oops, we didn’t mean to do that,’" Weingarten stated during an interview on Bloomberg’s Balance of Power. "Kids go through kindergarten once," she added, highlighting the critical nature of early childhood education and the potential for irreversible damage caused by disruptions.

The executive order, while aiming to devolve educational authority back to the states, also emphasizes the need to maintain the "effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely." However, Weingarten remains skeptical, fearing that the dismantling process could lead to a significant weakening of the department’s capacity to support students and schools nationwide.

Weingarten’s concerns stem from the observed learning losses and educational setbacks experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic when widespread school closures forced students to adapt to remote learning environments. Research has indicated that these closures disproportionately affected disadvantaged students, exacerbating existing achievement gaps.

The AFT president has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s previous handling of education during the pandemic. In July 2020, she denounced the administration’s guidelines for reopening schools as "reckless, callous, and cruel." She subsequently called for increased federal funding for schools and threatened strikes if safety precautions such as mask mandates, social distancing, and ventilation upgrades were not implemented.

Emails from February 2021 revealed that the AFT had actively lobbied the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to adopt more cautious guidelines for school reopenings, reflecting the union’s emphasis on prioritizing the safety and well-being of students and educators.

The debate over the Department of Education’s role in American education has intensified in recent years, with proponents arguing that it provides essential resources, guidance, and oversight to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all students. Critics, on the other hand, contend that the department is overly bureaucratic, inefficient, and infringes on state and local control of education.

The release of the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as the "Nation’s Report Card," has further fueled the debate. The report revealed concerning trends in student achievement, indicating that reading skills have continued to decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, while math skills have shown minimal improvement.

The Education Department acknowledged the alarming findings, stating that "Today’s NAEP results reveal a heartbreaking reality for American students and confirm our worst fears: not only did most students not recover from pandemic-related learning loss, but those students who were the most behind and needed the most support have fallen even further behind."

The report also highlighted the fact that despite significant federal investments in K-12 education, including approximately $190 billion in pandemic relief funds, the education system continues to struggle to meet the needs of students across the nation.

The AFT has expressed strong opposition to the dismantling of the Department of Education, arguing that it would diminish opportunities for students. In a recent press release, the union stated that the move is "a move that most people in America don’t want."

Weingarten has hinted at potential legal action against the Trump administration, stating, "See you in court," suggesting that the AFT is prepared to challenge the executive order through the legal system.

The potential closure of the Department of Education raises complex questions about the future of federal involvement in education and the implications for students, schools, and communities across the country. The debate is likely to continue in the coming months, as stakeholders grapple with the potential consequences of this significant policy shift.

The debate surrounding the Department of Education underscores the broader ideological divide in American education policy. Some believe in a strong federal role to ensure equity and accountability, while others advocate for greater local control and parental choice. This philosophical difference often manifests in disagreements over funding, standards, and curriculum. The coming legal challenges from AFT will likely hinge on questions of constitutionality, the impact on existing federal programs, and the potential harm to students.