NEA president criticizes Trump's plan to dismantle Department of Education

National Education Association (NEA) President Becky Pringle has issued a statement in response to former President Donald Trump's reported Executive Order aimed at dismantling the Department of Education. Pringle expressed concern over the potential impact on public education and students across the United States.

Pringle stated, "Donald Trump and Elon Musk have aimed their wrecking ball at public schools and the futures of the 50 million students in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America, by dismantling public education to pay for tax handouts for billionaires."

She further criticized recent actions taken by Trump and Musk, saying, "Last week Trump and Musk fired -- without cause -- nearly half of the Department of Education staff, trying to get rid of the dedicated public servants who help ensure our nation’s students have access to the services and resources to keep class sizes down, expand learning opportunities for students, and ensure programs like FAFSA can function."

Pringle warned that if Trump's efforts are successful, it could lead to larger class sizes, cuts in job training programs, increased costs for higher education, reduced special education services for students with disabilities, and weakened student civil rights protections. She emphasized that these changes would negatively affect all students nationwide.

"In moving forward with this," Pringle continued, "Trump is ignoring what parents and educators know is right for our students. This morning, in hundreds of communities across the nation thousands of families, educators, students, and community leaders joined together outside of neighborhood public schools to rally against taking away resources and support for our students."

Pringle concluded by affirming NEA's commitment to opposing these measures: "We won’t be silent as anti-public education politicians try to steal opportunities from our students, our families, and our communities to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Together with parents and allies, we will continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize so that all students have well-resourced schools that allow every student to grow into their full brilliance."

The NEA represents over 3 million educational professionals across various sectors including elementary and secondary teachers as well as higher education faculty.