On Thursday’s broadcast of MSNBC Prime, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten warned that eliminating the federal Department of Education would have devastating consequences for students, comparing it to the learning loss experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Weingarten: “Once Cuts Are Made, It’s Hard to Recover”
Weingarten argued that slashing federal education funding would lead to irreversible damage. “Kids don’t go through kindergarten more than once. They don’t go through first grade more than once,” she said. “If you start cutting what we have in terms of elementary schools right now or high schools right now, how are we going to get it back?”
She also linked the issue to broader societal concerns, stating, “We have a loneliness crisis.”
Weingarten claimed that if the Department of Education is eliminated, the money will either be redirected toward tax cuts or converted into block grants for school vouchers, a system she opposes. Instead, she pushed for an expansion of high school programs that include career technical education and college preparation.
“We need to actually expand high school to career tech prep, as well as college prep. How are you going to do these cuts? What is our obligation to our young people?” she asked.
The discussion comes as conservative lawmakers push to eliminate or significantly reduce the role of the federal Department of Education, arguing that education decisions should be made at the state and local levels rather than controlled by Washington bureaucrats.
While some conservatives see the move as a way to empower parents and local school boards, opponents like Weingarten warn that it could lead to severe disruptions in public education, particularly for students in lower-income communities who rely on federal funding.
The debate over education funding and school choice remains a key issue as the 2024 elections approach.
