By Julissa Ortiz
Linda McMahon was appointed the new head of the Education Department and has promised to dismantle the department alongside President Trump, causing concern among teachers.
According to the White House Fact Sheet, President Trump has stated that he wishes to “close the Department of Education and move education back to the states where it belongs.” He believes the department is too radical for American students.
Although Linda McMahon is the head of the department, she has released an official statement stating, “Education is fundamentally a state responsibility.” She fully supports dismantling the department and even believes that her role as head of the department is to dismantle it.
Cuts have already started in the Education Department, including an unprecedented number of layoffs across almost every department. Several teachers have expressed a growing concern about the recent changes in the department, including in Chicago at ChiArts.
In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson has threatened to sue the Trump Administration over withholding billions in federal funding to states over diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; Johnson also believes it is unconstitutional to disrupt the freedom of speech within schools.
Dara Miller, an English teacher at ChiArts, recently stated that she “doesn’t know any teacher who isn’t worried about what’s going on.”
Emily Maassen, a Government teacher at ChiArts, also believes “it is a dangerous time for our democracy…they should be going through Congress, not just by laying off everyone who works there.”
Some teachers find this to be reassuring, with Emily Maassen saying she agrees that “CPS should fight it,” and Dara Miller saying that Chicago’s “a stronghold against this administration’s attacks on academic freedom.”
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been a huge discussion within the government right now. With most Republicans believing that merit should be the basis of hiring individuals, and most Democrats believing that DEI helps unprivileged communities who have historically struggled to find spaces to prosper.
President Trump has signed several orders to cut federal funding for teaching topics such as sex, gender, and politics. The administration claims teaching these topics has “indoctrinated” students in K-12 education. Some states have already cut back in LGBTQ protection for queer students.
English teacher Dara Miller worries “every day” for her LGBTQ students. She adds on further by saying how her classroom will be affected by students’ feelings of “hopelessness” and “it is hard to bring energy to your learning” when you have to worry about your safety.
Government teacher Emily Maassen worries for students leaving the state for college, stating they might not “have the same protections that they have here.” She also says that she has no plan to follow any mandates given to her, “it’s unconstitutional.”
