Markey, teachers unions denounce Trump's move to dismantle the Department of Education

Boston Globe

10-02-2025

However, Markey during a press conference Monday at the
'The Trump administration has set its sights on gutting public education,' Markey said.
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Markey said he would vote against
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Speaking to reporters last week,
Markey, during Monday's press conference, blasted McMahon.
'We know what her mission is going to be. It is going to be to sell out the children in our country who need it the most — the educational opportunities that are being provided right now — for tax breaks for billionaires,' Markey said.
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Lea-Antoinette Serena, the executive vice president of the Boston Teachers Union, said Trump's efforts to shut down the Education Department was not just about an agency in Washington, but was part of an attack on public education.
'It's an attack on every student, every teacher, every classroom and every family that relies on a strong, well funded and equitable public education system,' said Serena, who attended the city's schools as a first-generation American.
Last week,
One of the education department's primary roles is distributing billions in student aid dollars to the states, including $18 billion through Title 1, which supports students living in poverty, and $15 billion through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, which helps students receiving special education services.
The department administers the student loans and federal financial aid colleges rely on for revenue, distributes federal grants to K-12 schools with low-income students, funds special education programs, collects data, and enforces federal antidiscrimination laws.
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The Department of Education,
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Since then, the department's headcount has approximately doubled, to 4,300 employees, and its annual budget grew to $60 billion. It is the smallest of the 15 Cabinet-level departments.
In Massachusetts, the agency provided more than $720 million in funding to Massachusetts during fiscal 2024, according to US Senator Edward J. Markey's office.
That money included $366 million for 182,000 students with disabilities, which represents about a fifth of the state's student population, according to Markey's office said. Funding also included $289 million to schools enrolling 425,000 students from low-income backgrounds, and $20.5 million for 97,000 English learners, Markey's statement said.
The Project 2025 report
The Office for Civil Rights within the Education Department enforces federal civil rights laws in schools, investigating claims of discrimination based on sex, race, and disability status. Project 2025 recommends transferring responsibilities for civil rights in education to the Department of Justice.
Trump, in December, called for
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'We want to move education back to the states,' Trump said in the interview.
While Trump moves to shutter the nation's education department, he hasn't sworn off federal involvement in schools entirely.
Early in his second term, Trump has already issued several directives for the federal government to promote 'patriotic' learning in K-12 schools and
Trump ordered federal
He also
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Hilary Burns, Mike Damiano, and Mandy McLaren of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Auzzy Byrdsell can be reached at