Senator Elizabeth Warren, a vocal critic of the Trump administration, has launched a comprehensive investigation into the impact of the former president’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. This move, which effectively aimed to abolish the agency and return education powers to individual states, has drawn significant opposition from Democrats and education advocacy groups alike.
Warren’s “Save Our Schools” campaign is at the heart of this investigation. She’s seeking firsthand accounts from students, parents, teachers, and borrowers who believe they’ve been negatively affected by the changes. In a statement released to ABC News, Warren emphasized the importance of these personal stories, highlighting them as the driving force behind her fight against the administration’s actions.
The Senator has sent letters to a range of influential organizations, including the NAACP, NEA, and AFT, requesting information on the potential consequences of the Department’s dismantling. She specifically called the plan a “reckless crusade,” expressing concerns about the potential jeopardy to students’ access to affordable, high-quality public education.
Warren’s letters highlight key functions of the Department of Education, including the protection of students’ civil rights, funding for students with disabilities, educational research, and federal financial aid for higher education. She points to the potential impact of funding cuts on essential programs like free school lunches for low-income students, noting that school districts are already bracing for potential funding delays or cuts.
While Education Secretary Linda McMahon has claimed that funding for mandatory programs would continue, and that states might even receive increased funding, Warren remains unconvinced. She also points to the nearly 2,000 employees who have been separated from the agency, including hundreds of Federal Student Aid (FSA) employees, whose roles she considers crucial for students in need. She warns of “dire consequences” for the country’s more than 40 million student loan borrowers due to the downsizing of the agency.
The investigation follows Warren’s April launch of the “Save Our Schools” campaign, which aims to combat the administration’s executive order focused on empowering parents, states, and communities in education. Warren plans to use a combination of federal investigations, oversight, storytelling, and lawsuits to defend public education, stating that taking away federal investment in public schools to benefit billionaires is “just plain ugly” and that she will “fight it with everything [she’s] got.”
The investigation’s findings are expected to significantly impact the ongoing debate surrounding the future of the Department of Education and the overall landscape of public education in the United States. The deadline for the organizations to respond to Warren’s inquiries is May 22nd.
