As Students Return to School, Educators Grapple With Chaos From Washington
The uncertainty over funding and federal mandates reminds some leaders of the pandemic.
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For educators, there鈥檚 something about this back-to-school season that feels familiar.
It鈥檚 鈥渢he amount of information that’s coming to you all at once,鈥 said Jeremy Vidito, chief financial officer for the Detroit schools. On a , he laid out a litany of hardships, including figuring out 鈥渨hat’s true, what’s not. Emergency orders. Budget cuts.鈥
Leaders felt similar uncertainty in the fall of 2020, when the pandemic forced them to scramble to educate, feed and transport students. But this time, as 47 million students return to school in the coming weeks, the source of the unease is the federal government. The Trump administration has already frozen and unfrozen education funds, and seeks to further reduce school spending. Vidito said he鈥檚 urging principals in his district to stay calm, but 鈥渁 lot of the stuff, we can’t control.鈥
As Education Secretary Linda McMahon to schools across the country to spread her gospel of returning control to the states, leaders say they鈥檙e hoping for something simpler: a return to normalcy.
鈥淲hat is the next freeze, or what is the next issue that the administration may have with some of the funding that school districts get?鈥 asked Mark Sullivan, superintendent of the Birmingham, Alabama, schools.
At a last month, McMahon offered 鈥渘o guarantees鈥 that she could prevent the kinds of 鈥渃ommunication gaps鈥 that led to previous dustups. Her comments came the same day that the Office for Management and Budget completed its unexpected review of several annual grant programs for schools. Officials said their initial inspection turned up expenditures at odds with Trump鈥檚 agenda 鈥 offering up, without elaboration, the use of school improvement funds on 鈥渁 seminar on 鈥榪ueer resistance in the arts.鈥 鈥
But after seven months with Trump in office, some district leaders have grown cynical.
David Law, superintendent of the Minnetonka Public Schools in Minnesota, doubts there ever was a thorough analysis and suggested that the few examples cited were meant as a warning.
鈥淚 think the pause was intended to let people know, 鈥榃e don’t like these things, so if you’re doing them, you should be worried,鈥 鈥 he said. As they try to prepare for additional shocks to their budget, leaders nationwide, he said, are adjusting to the pendulum swing over diversity, equity and inclusion.
Under the Biden administration, 鈥渨e were trying to prove we were caring about kids enough,鈥 he said. 鈥淣ow we’re trying to prove that we’re not meeting the definition of indoctrination. It’s a bit of a wild ride.鈥
鈥楽afe to speak鈥
For now, Congress Trump鈥檚 proposed cuts to K-12 funding. But OMB has still floated of a that would claw back unspent education funds from the current budget before the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. Congress鈥 watchdog agency says that if the administration doesn鈥檛 give Congress ample time to approve or reject the cuts, the move would .
In a , McMahon said funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act will flow with or without the Department of Education.
But that the administration might cut some special education grants already awarded for research, technology, and teacher and parent training alarm district-level staff.
鈥淎 reduction in this funding will create challenges for districts and could lead to the need to re-evaluate essential programs that help to support students eligible for special education services,鈥 said Jessica Saum, a special education coordinator in the Cabot Public School District, outside Little Rock, Arkansas.
President Donald Trump has said that ensuring schools teach children English is the federal government鈥檚 only education-related obligation. But Vidito in Detroit said he鈥檚 still bracing for the elimination of funding for English learners.
Federal officials stating that districts must take 鈥渁ffirmative steps to ensure鈥 that English learners 鈥渃an meaningfully participate in their educational programs and services.鈥 The move expands on a from Attorney General Pam Bondi saying that despite the president鈥檚 executive order declaring English the official language, the government should 鈥渕inimize non-essential multilingual services鈥 and focus on assimilation.
The unpredictability of this moment has prompted Merica Clinkenbeard, who directs English learner programs for the Springfield, Missouri, district, to remind teachers that the federal money is supplemental: Teachers are responsible for ensuring students become proficient in English with or without it.
Due to the threat of federal funding cuts, she lost three members of her leadership team.
鈥淭hey felt like perhaps they would not have jobs in this field ever again,鈥 she said. Now she has two positions she can鈥檛 fill. 鈥淚 was telling my husband, 鈥楾his is just like COVID, like everything I’ve known is going away.鈥 鈥
Districts serving large English learner and immigrant populations are more cautious than most as students return this fall, especially after Immigration Customs and Enforcement officials an 18-year-old Los Angeles student last week while he was walking his dog. Officials said he had overstayed his visa by two years.
The fear of ICE raids has prompted more parents to ask about remote learning, said Sharon Balmer Cartagena, an attorney with Public Counsel, a nonprofit public interest law firm. She鈥檚 been holding 鈥渇amily preparedness鈥 workshops for southern California districts, encouraging them to update emergency contact information in case a parent is deported.
Los Angeles Unified is one district trying to by stationing volunteers, staff and campus police around school zones. But she expects enforcement actions to ramp up with the start of the school year. Even so, she encourages parents to send their children to school in person.
鈥淲e saw what happened during COVID with younger kids learning remotely,鈥 she said. Students in the early grades as they would have in a classroom and experienced both academic, social and behavioral setbacks, studies show. Now, many of those students are in middle and high school.
鈥淭o have that hit them again would be really detrimental,鈥 Cartagena said. 鈥淪ome of them are just starting to catch up.鈥
鈥楧oing it right鈥
Not all education leaders are dreading the next announcement from Washington. Louisiana Superintendent Cade Brumley welcomed McMahon to Baton Rouge Aug. 11, where she celebrated the state鈥檚 rising performance in reading. On the last National Assessment of Educational Progress, the state scored above the national average after trailing the rest of the country for years.
McMahon also hit Arkansas, Tennessee and Florida last week, three more states that embrace the Trump administration鈥檚 plans to reduce federal education oversight. Since her confirmation, she has limited most of her school visits to charter and private schools, to emphasize the administration鈥檚 focus on expanding choice. But this tour is giving her more exposure to traditional district schools.
鈥淟ouisiana is doing it right 鈥 and they don鈥檛 need the federal bureaucracy to make it happen,鈥 McMahon after her visit to Jefferson Terrace Academy in East Baton Rouge.
But the state did need federal money, specifically the COVID relief funds, Brumley said during the .
鈥淲e were able to use those pandemic dollars around the academic efforts that we knew were best for students,鈥 he said. He agrees with McMahon鈥檚 position that fewer strings tied to education funding will lead to stronger results. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just really excited about 鈥 not having these excessive restrictions and bureaucratic needs surrounding dollars.鈥
Educators want assurances that the funding their students count on is stable, said Saum, in the Cabot district. Some students with disabilities require significant hands-on help from staff members.
鈥淧arents are following along,鈥 she said 鈥淭hey want to know 鈥業s my child going to get what they need to be safe and cared for at school?鈥 鈥
With the formal title of 鈥渋nclusion coordinator,鈥 Saum said she has to be clear about her role at a time when the administration is trying to ban DEI-related programs.
鈥淚t can be so divisive when people don’t really understand we’re talking about children with disabilities,鈥 she said. Others with similar positions, she said, have changed their titles to emphasize 鈥渕eaningful access.鈥
If anything, Law, from the Minnetonka district, said the administration鈥檚 鈥渃ritical lens鈥 on schools have forced leaders to be 鈥渃rystal clear鈥 about their work. During a recent visit to a nursing home, as part of his efforts to connect with members of the community, he said a resident told him, 鈥淵ou should be teaching all these kids English.鈥
鈥 鈥業 have great news. The only thing we’re teaching these kids is English,鈥 鈥 Law said he told him. 鈥淭here will always be people that say you don’t need to kowtow to certain populations. I’m still going to say public education is all students getting free education.鈥
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