Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Many years ago, while working at a communications research firm, I was introduced to a series of advocacy campaigns in Kansas focused on the well-being of children and youth across the state. The overarching tagline of these campaigns was a simple but critical question: “Is it good for the kids?” At the time, the question was infused into the civic life of the state, including at municipal meetings, decision-making tables and public events.
This came back to me late Friday afternoon, when President Trump laid off more than 450 U.S. Education Department staffers. Most were in the Office of Special Education Programs, which oversees about $15 billion in SPED funding each year.
OSEP was hit especially hard, but they weren’t the only ones: Cuts were also made to other DOE offices including Post Secondary Education, and the Offices of Civil Rights and Safe and Supportive Schools, among others. The common theme across them is that each targets the learners who are already the most marginalized.
We are fortunate to live in Massachusetts, where our state leaders are focused on what’s best for our students and the adults in our schools, not the politics. In an October 15 statement Gov. Healey said: “Donald Trump is weaponizing the shutdown to fire hard-working educators. Because of President Trump’s actions, our kids will lose the mental health care, tutoring, and special education they need. This needs to stop. The White House needs to end this shutdown and reverse this decision immediately.”
Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler echoed the sentiment: “Make no mistake – this action is going to exacerbate longstanding challenges around wealth inequality and make it harder for students to access IEPs, mental health supports, tutoring and so much more. The fight to protect students’ civil rights is urgent. In Massachusetts, we will continue to fight for every student to have access to a high-quality public education and equitable access to affordable higher education opportunities.”
Are these moves good for kids? Absolutely not. These firings really hit home for me, in part because my own daughter once benefitted from some of these same services, and because the work we do at Power of Place is to help create cultures of belonging for all students in schools. This is the hard, patient work that is good for kids, and requires an ongoing commitment to more effectively teach and lead across differences.
On October 15, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from conducting mass layoffs during the government shutdown, sharply noting that “There are laws which govern how we can do the things we do.” There is clearly a legal battle ahead, and what the future holds for the Department of Education – and many other federal agencies – remains unclear.
What is clear is that our work to educate all children is going to be an uphill climb. By working together, we can stay true to our shared priorities and values, ensuring that our collective efforts remain centered on what matters most: Supporting every child to grow with confidence, to learn with curiosity, and to thrive in school and beyond.
In connection,
Jane
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