AFSCME’s Saunders: Shutting down the Department of Education amounts to one giant hit job on America's working families

“When leaders tell you their plans, believe them: This executive order is Project 2025 come to life. Dismantling the Department of Education has nothing to do with improving public schools and everything to do with starving them of the resources to succeed, all so billionaires can swoop in and turn America’s great equalizer into their next great profit generator.

 

“All students, and especially those who have disabilities, who need help learning English, and who live in rural and high-poverty districts, will pay the price in the form of larger classroom sizes, crumbling facilities and bigger staffing shortages. Likewise, aspiring public service workers, college students and student loan borrowers will struggle to access financial aid and programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

 

“Shutting down the Department of Education amounts to one giant hit job on America's working families. Beyond the impact on students, it will jeopardize the jobs and livelihoods of millions of teachers, custodians, food service workers, school nurses, school bus drivers, instructional support professionals and their families. And it will put an even greater financial burden on states, cities and towns, which already shoulder most education costs and have authority over their programs.

 

“We can't allow billionaires like Elon Musk and Linda McMahon to come into our neighborhoods, gut our public schools and auction what’s left to the highest bidders. Our children deserve better, and AFSCME’s 1.4 million members are getting organized and fighting back."