Trump’s Executive Order Closing the US Department of Education Will Hurt New Hampshire Students and Local Property Taxpayers
Concord, NH - Today, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order shutting down the US Dept. of Education, endangering access to a robust public education for more than 55 million American students. Deb Howes, President of AFT-NH, released the following statement:
“Shutting down the US Department of Education so it cannot fulfill its mission of supporting all students’ access to public education, frankly, attacks the pathway to opportunity for so many American students.
President Trump’s Executive Order dismantling the US Dept. of Education will have very real consequences for public school students in New Hampshire, especially those who need special education services and those from communities with families living in poverty. Local taxpayers will be forced to pick up the tab for increased costs so students can keep getting the assistance they need. If local taxpayers are prevented from filling that gap, teachers, paraeducators, sports, arts and music, and other elective or enrichment programs will have to be cut to fill the gap left by federal grants from the U.S. DOE, leaving our students who struggle the most without the opportunities they need to thrive.
We are proud that AFT has committed to challenging this Executive Order in court. We challenge our governor to stand up for Granite State public school students too.
Governor Ayotte must stand up to President Trump, the candidate she supported and endorsed, and tell him that dismantling the US DOE will cost New Hampshire families and taxpayers greatly. She must either stand up to the President or be complicit in the harm that will follow.”
Background:
- New Hampshire public school students who are struggling with reading or math will lose additional targeted academic support from trained teachers and tutors that is paid for out of the more than $51 million in Title 1 grants NH receives from the US DOE.
- NH public school students with special needs could lose individual paraeducator support to review and reinforce academic lessons and provide behavioral support that are paid for with the nearly $62 million in IDEA funding NH receives from the US DOE. It could mean NH students have less time with speech therapists, physical therapists and other related services.
- NH public school students who want practical, hands on learning that prepares them for the workforce in our Career and Technical Education would have fewer opportunities at a time when more students are clamoring for exactly this kind of learning! NH receives $9 million for CTE from the US DOE.
- NH students will lose any federal oversight to ensure students with disabilities, students who are learning English as a second language, and students living in poverty have full access to their public education.