On March 20, President Donald Trump took a major step toward delivering on his campaign promise to dismantle the Department of Education, signing an executive order aimed at abolishing the department that was created almost 50 years ago under the leadership of Georgia’s beloved son, President Jimmy Carter. Among the reasons he cited was the purported use of federal funds to support DEI initiatives in public schools. It would be easy and convenient to dismiss this claim. But the fact is diversity, equity and inclusion are indeed central tenets of the Department of Education, and it is precisely for this reason that we must protect it at all costs.
The ongoing effort to limit the federal government’s role in education is personal for me and my family. Among those in attendance in 1979 to witness Carter sign the department into law was my grandmother, Connie Stewart, who was part of a team of passionate educators who had been working for three years under the guidance of then-Deputy Secretary of Education Mary Frances Berry to realize the goal of a Cabinet-level education division. This project was led predominantly by women, including Dr. Berry and other women of color, who were guided by an unwavering commitment to ensuring access to quality public education for every child and to the protection of students’ civil rights. Visionary and courageous leadership like theirs is sorely needed today.
Since its founding, diversity, equity and inclusion have been at the forefront of the Department of Education’s mission, and this is a fact we as a nation should take pride in. After all, the department has been a leading force for expanding access to higher education for students from historically marginalized communities, ensuring inclusive learning environments for children with disabilities and providing needed financial support to schools serving students in poverty, goals we should all be eager to support, regardless of our political affiliation. Programs such as Title I, Pell Grants and IEPs could each be categorized as DEI, and they are all crucially important to communities across Georgia and beyond. These initiatives also remain extremely popular, which is likely one reason the Trump administration has, at least for the time being, committed to maintaining them. Simultaneously promising to shutter the department that administers these programs, however, is an insult to the millions of families that rely on them.
Just as my grandmother and others lobbied Congress for months to pass the legislation to establish the Department of Education, Trump, Elon Musk and their allies will need to persuade Congress to act in order to officially close it, and this is unlikely to occur, even in a Republican controlled Congress. Recent studies show that a clear majority of Americans oppose shuttering the department and doing so would disproportionately harm rural areas, creating the potential for increased backlash toward Republican members of Congress who are already facing intense anger from constituents over cuts to other federal programs.
Nonetheless, the threat posed to vital programs housed within the department is very real. In Georgia, over 16% of the funding that goes to schools comes from the federal government, with the number rising to 25% in rural areas. Among those who rely most heavily on federal funding are the more than 200,000 Georgia students who have disabilities. Any cuts to federal funding would leave Georgia schools reeling as too many districts already struggle to recruit teachers, fund counselors and buy basic classroom necessities.
As the Trump administration continues to attack public education, with a specific focus on stripping protections for children of color, children with disabilities, immigrant and LGBTQIA+ youth, it is up to local communities to protect our schools, teachers and students. The effort to dismantle the Department of Education is not merely an affront to the legacies of my grandmother and the others who worked to establish the department, it is also a direct assault on each of our futures. We must resist these attacks, both through advocacy at the state and federal level and, more importantly, through a commitment to fighting for educational accessibility and equity in our local communities.
Over the coming months, the role of boards of education and school administrators will become increasingly important, and the voices of parents, educators and students will be needed more than ever before. It is imperative that school leaders codify protections for students of color, LGBTQIA+ students, immigrant students and students with disabilities, and it is equally important that districts give educators the necessary resources and support to do their jobs, free from fear of retaliation. It will not be easy, but if we channel the resilience and courage shown by Dr. Berry, my grandmother, and the other visionary leaders who established the Department of Education, we will be able to weather the ongoing assault bearing down on our schools, teachers and students.
Credit: Royce Mann/contributed
Credit: Royce Mann/contributed
Royce Mann is a student at Emory, a community organizer and a former candidate for the Atlanta Board of Education. He has also worked as a social media consultant for Stacey Abrams and as the youth engagement coordinator for Sen. Raphael Warnock’s reelection campaign.
Credit: courtesy of Royce Mann
Credit: courtesy of Royce Mann
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