Executive Order Leaves All Children and Families Behind

Statement by IDRA President and CEO Celina Moreno on Executive Order to Dismantle U.S. Department of Education

The order comes after weeks of attempts by the administration to undermine how the department functions. Since inauguration day, executive orders and directives from the department have threatened programs, funding, students and civil rights enforcement. Last week, the department announced it was firing more than 1,300 department employees, impacting almost half of its workforce and all of its divisions.

Executive orders do not give authority to change or create law or to take away the rights of students protected by the U.S. Constitution and state and federal law. The Department of Education provides funds for life-changing services to every community in our nation, including for students with disabilities, English learners and poor children. Its initiatives also expand girls’ access to STEM, train teachers, and support rural students who are first in their family to attend college. The department collects data that give a holistic picture of how students are doing in schools. And it promotes efficiency by helping states learn from each other about programs that best help kids excel.

The department enforces civil rights law to make sure schools do not discriminate against any student, including students of color and LGBTQ+ students. Indeed, the department is mandated to protect all students from discrimination based on their race, color, faith, gender or where they or their family might come from. 

We must work to strengthen the department and ensure it is equipped to fulfill its mandates, rather than strip it of its ability to serve schools and students.

We must not go back to the days of leaving it to the states to enforce federal constitutional rights. The quality of a child’s education or whether their rights are respected should not depend on their home state.

School leaders must be courageous and give clear guidance to their communities on their commitment to create safe, welcoming schools where all children can thrive. Teachers must be supported to teach truthful curricula and protect the well-being of diverse students without fear of retribution.

Lawmakers must push back against policies that defund, demonize and privatize public schools. Students and families must stay engaged in their schools and participate in decision-making at the local, state and national levels. 

We must all demand that Congress protect programs and funding for students in public schools.  

IDRA will continue to advocate, research and publish data to support students and the public schools that serve them. 

There is no job more important than protecting children. We’ve all got work to do.

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Learn What You Can Do

See IDRA’s brief: A Vision for Education in 2025 and Beyond – Educational Opportunities in a Changing Federal Landscape

Tell your friends to sign up for IDRA’s federal alerts, such as our two most recent editions:

Federal Advocacy Action Alert – Your to-do list: Support this nation’s students and schools.

• Call your congressperson to tell them what public schools mean to you.
• Schedule a visit with your congressperson during the March recess.
• Schedule a meeting with your congressperson to urge them to oppose federal vouchers.
• Toolkits ready to use!

Federal Education Law and Policy Update – What new federal activities mean for students and schools

• A Flurry of Executive Actions Causes Confusion in Schools and Communities
• Students, Schools, and Service Organizations Continue to Be Harmed by Federal Funding Freeze – Rule of Law Prevails in Court, But Not in Practice
• New U.S. Department of Education Letter Threatens Protections for Students