On Monday Nov. 18, the Trump administration continued its dismantling of the Department of Education (DoE) by outsourcing many programs and services to other federal agencies. This is on top of the DOGE cuts, layoffs, and reorganizing that has already decimated the Department of Education to less than half of its needed staffing. Many important programs which serve low-income, first-generation, and parenting students are affected by these moves including TRIO, GEARUP, The Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Partnership, and Minority Serving Institutions.

This latest move is alarming, unnecessary, and most troubling, will leave students unprotected and underserved. Among the DoE’s many important functions is serving as a civil rights agency, protecting students against discrimination and ensuring accessible, quality, equitable education for all. But because of the dismantling of the department, there is a crisis of backlogged complaints. This move only exacerbates the challenges many students already face accessing their civil and educational rights.

This reorganization will not reduce bureaucracy or create efficiencies; quite the contrary: it will result in chaos and confusion, making it harder for students to access educational opportunities. Critical programs are being moved to agencies with little or no relevant expertise or capacity to meet the many needs of today’s students.

This action also subverts congressional authority. The executive branch has made these changes unilaterally, defying both law and precedent. Women Employed calls on Congress to fulfill its responsibilities to students of all ages and exercise their legal authority to ensure that all students are protected and supported in their educational endeavors. It is both your responsibility and your duty to hold the president accountable and ensure that the Department of Education’s important work continues uninterrupted. Our futures all depend upon it.

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