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Time of India
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
The Big Beautiful Bill's quiet revolution: Dismantling the federal role in education
While President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' has drawn noisy debate over taxes and immigration, its most transformative, and potentially divisive, legacy may unfold far from the public gaze: Inside America's classrooms. Formally known as the American Prosperity and Freedom Act, the bill runs 940 pages deep. Nestled in its dense legal language is a radical reimagination of how education is funded, who controls it, and what it's meant to teach. More than a fiscal realignment, the bill signals a cultural and institutional recalibration, a blueprint not just for cutting costs, but for shrinking the federal government's role in shaping educational equity and intellectual freedom. Defunding the foundation At the heart of the legislation lies a nearly 20% cut to discretionary funding for the US Department of Education over five years. This is no administrative trimming. Critical lifelines such as Title I grants, designed to level the playing field for students in low-income districts, and IDEA funds supporting students with disabilities face sharp reductions. In real terms, that means fewer teachers, larger class sizes, shuttered after-school programmes, and thinner support for special education. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Hörspezialisten toben: Dieses 89 €-Gerät geht viral Top Trending News Today Mehr erfahren Undo For under-resourced schools already walking a fiscal tightrope, this isn't reform. It's a retreat. And for districts that rely heavily on federal aid to supplement inadequate state budgets, the message is clear: you're on your own. Choice or abandonment? The bill also elevates a longstanding conservative goal, school choice, by creating a federal tax credit scholarship programme. Under the guise of parental empowerment, the initiative incentivizes donations to private school tuition, effectively subsidizing elite alternatives while siphoning funds from the public system. To supporters, this is freedom in action, a mechanism to spark competition and elevate standards. But critics see something far more corrosive: A public school exodus that accelerates segregation, weakens accountability, and hollows out the very system meant to serve all students. If left unchecked, it could reshape education into a two-tiered model, one privately buoyed and publicly neglected. The return of debt-driven futures Perhaps no provision has sparked more alarm among recent graduates than the rollback of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and the rollback of income-driven repayment schemes. In their place: Increased reliance on private lenders and corporate partnerships to manage student loans. This pivot represents not just a policy shift but a moral disinvestment in those who choose public service, teachers, social workers, and rural doctors. With no promise of debt relief, many will opt out before they even begin. The future will be more indebted, more risk-averse, and less willing to serve. A curriculum draped in red, white, and blue Education, under Trump's bill, isn't just an economic tool; it's a cultural battlefield. Echoing the rhetoric of the 1776 Commission, the bill allocates $500 million toward 'American Values Curriculum Grants,' with an explicit directive: teach US history through a lens of national pride and exceptionalism. What does that mean in practice? A potential erasure of systemic critique, reduced engagement with marginalized histories, and teacher training programs aligned with ideological litmus tests. Supporters hail it as a corrective to 'anti-American bias.' Detractors warn it edges dangerously close to state-sponsored historical revisionism, where patriotism comes at the cost of intellectual honesty. Knowledge under siege The bill's impact on higher education is equally profound. While STEM fields tied to defence and industry are protected, social sciences and environmental research face a 12% funding cut. This selective pruning risks reorienting universities around military-industrial priorities, undermining the pursuit of knowledge that challenges, questions, and enriches democratic society. PhD programs in climate change, sociology, or public health, already vulnerable, may contract or vanish entirely. The academy's capacity to interrogate power, inequality, or the planet's fragility is quietly being starved. Federal hands off, private hands in Across its many chapters, the Big Beautiful Bill weaves a consistent theme: Less federal protection, more market intervention. Public institutions are pushed toward privatized models. Equity-based funding is exchanged for performance-based incentives. Ideological coherence replaces pedagogical complexity. This isn't merely conservative tinkering. It's the architectural undoing of federal involvement in public education, with consequences that will play out over decades, not news cycles. The fight ahead Already, civil rights organizations are preparing lawsuits to challenge the legality of voucher programmes that may breach public education mandates. States reliant on Title I and IDEA funds are lobbying for carve-outs and concessions. But the scaffolding has shifted. What was once a federal promise, that no child's future would be determined by their ZIP code or income bracket, is now being recast as a local gamble and a parental responsibility. Education reimagined, but for whom? Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' may never draw the fiery protests of immigration bans or the coverage of Supreme Court appointments. But it represents something arguably more enduring: A generational redesign of the American education system, not by consensus, but by calculation. What we're witnessing is not just defunding or deregulating, but a deliberate redefinition of what education is for, who it belongs to, and whose history it must teach. For all its patriotism, the bill risks betraying the most essential American promise, that education, in a democracy, is not a privilege. It is a right. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
02-07-2025
- Politics
Trump administration pauses $6B in education programs ahead of school year
President Donald Trump's administration is pausing over $6 billion of congressionally-appropriated federal funding for after-school, student support, teacher training, English language and other education programs, according to a Department of Education memo obtained by ABC News. In a letter to Congress from the agency's office of legislation and congressional affairs Monday afternoon, the DOE said a notification would be sent to certain grantees alerting them that funding for the upcoming school year would be reviewed on July 1 and decisions concerning this academic year have "not yet been made." "The department will not be issuing grant award notifications obligating funds for these programs on July 1 prior to completing that review," the memo reads in part. "The department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president's priorities and the department's statutory responsibilities." The statutorily mandated special education funding through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) have been awarded to states on time, according to a DOE source. But school budgets for the year are typically approved in May or June and are ready to be allocated by July 1, according to education finance experts. The abrupt messaging from the administration gave scant details on how the key programs would be impacted moving forward and comes just weeks before many state education agencies return students to the classroom. The 2024 National Teacher of the Year Missy Testerman, an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor in Tennessee, told ABC News any withholding of funds will affect schools. "School budgets are already very tight, so withholding funds for required programs -- such as those for English learners -- will certainly place a burden on school systems," Testerman wrote in a statement to ABC News. "This likely will mean that systems will face the difficult decision to make budget cuts in other areas, affecting students. In rural systems like mine, this could mean a reduction in overall staff or the elimination of crucial supports for students such as afterschool and tutoring programs," Testerman added. House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., called the move to withhold the appropriated funds a violation of federal law with potentially devastating consequences. "The halting of these critical funds harms the students, educators, and schools that strive to provide quality public education with the meager funds and challenges they face," Scott wrote in a statement to ABC News. "Cash-strapped school districts, particularly those in low-income and rural areas, cannot afford this delay and will likely be forced to either lay off staff or cut back on programs and services while the White House Office of Budget and Management 'reviews' the funding," Scott said. State attorneys general are expected to sue the administration over the reviews, according to a source familiar with the matter. Parents groups and education advocates decrying the decision are also mounting lawsuits against the administration, the source confirmed. Advocates accuse the administration of undermining public education in a "cruel betrayal" of students. "Schools are already grappling with severe teacher shortages, burnout and under-resourced classrooms, and here comes the federal government ripping resources away from public schools. It is outrageous and unconscionable," said National Education Association President Becky Pringle. "Educators and parents will not be silent while students are undervalued, unheard and unsupported," Pringle wrote in a statement, adding, "We will stand up, speak out and take action to ensure every classroom is a place of dignity, opportunity and respect." Education providers are sounding the alarm about the funding that impacts millions of students, teachers, and families, telling ABC News they fear that low-income students and families will be left in a bind with no other options of care for their children. The Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit organization, said, "If these funds are not released very soon, we will quickly see more children and youth unsupervised and at risk, more academic failures, more hungry kids, more chronic absenteeism, higher dropout rates, more parents forced out of their jobs, and a less STEM-ready and successful workforce as our child care crisis worsens dramatically." The pause comes as efforts to dismantle the Department of Education have been blocked by lower courts. The Supreme Court is also expected to weigh in on the firing of nearly 2,000 employees at the agency. The DOE referred additional questions to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). An OMB spokesman told ABC News the pause is due to an "ongoing programmatic review" of education funding, adding no decisions have been made yet. Many of the programs "grossly misused" government funds to promote a "radical leftwing agenda," the OMB spokesperson added. In some cases, the programs allegedly promote illegal immigration advocacy and queer resistance in the arts, according to the spokesman.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How would Trump's FY 26 budget plan reshape special education?
This story was originally published on K-12 Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily K-12 Dive newsletter. A White House plan to consolidate pockets of special education funding in fiscal year 2026 has critics concerned that vital programs will be cut or loosely absorbed into remaining special education allocations. Supporters, however, see the budget restructure not just as an opportunity to maintain spending levels for federal special education grants, but to simplify and effectively distribute the money that educates and supports the nation's 8.4 million infants, toddlers, children and young adults with disabilities. Overall, the FY 26 budget proposal that was released in stages in April and May provides level funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act at $15.5 billion. However, the Trump administration said it wants to consolidate some grants that serve different purposes so states and districts have more spending flexibility. Those opposed to the plan say this design would remove guaranteed funding for certain programs because it would be each state's decision to fund those. Specifically, the budget plan would consolidate the smaller IDEA, Part B preschool grants to states and IDEA, Part D funding for technical assistance and teacher preparation into the larger Part B, school-age program. The proposed funding for the preschool grant and Part D programs equals $677.6 million, which is the exact amount of increase recommended in the budget proposal for the overall Part B program. "We're not cutting any of the IDEA funding. It is staying intact, and so the president really has a commitment to make sure that that funding does get into the states," said U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon to a Senate appropriations subcommittee on June 3 in Washington, D.C. But critics say the budget plan would reduce special education funding, not increase it. They also denounce the merging of grant programs. The Council of Administrators of Special Education, a professional organization of special education directors, said the various IDEA funding programs are designed to work together as a continuum of supports and services. "Reducing the components of the law to one block grant, without the guarantee that each part would be funded, is a serious disservice to children and youth with disabilities, their families, and the educators that serve them," CASE said in an email to K-12 Dive. Programs planned for consolidation into the overall Part B program include parent information centers, which were funded at $33 million in FY 2025. Those centers have exceeded or met performance measures for the past five fiscal years. The Part B, grants to states for school-aged children ages 3-21, as proposed, would provide an average of $1,944 per student with disabilities. That is about 10.9% of the national average per-pupil expenditure for the additional cost of providing special education and related services. Funding to educate students with disabilities also comes from other federal, state and local coffers. The budget for IDEA Part C for services to infants and toddlers with disabilities — at a proposed level funding of $540 million — would remain a separate formula grant program. The FY 26 budget proposal for special education consolidates the smaller IDEA, Part B preschool grants to states and IDEA, Part D funding for technical assistance and teacher preparation into the larger Part B, school-age program. Este contenido insertado no está disponible en tu región. Although supporters say the fiscal redesign would give states more flexibility with spending the Part D dollars, the Trump administration said states would still be required to meet key IDEA accountability and reporting requirements under Parts B and C. The administration would also phase out discretionary grant competitions previously federally funded under Part D, allowing states to decide whether to continue those activities. States would be required to at least maintain their funding of special education — or send local school districts funding that's equal to or more than what was provided the preceding school year. This is also known as state maintenance of effort. Funding for the Institute of Education Sciences, which hosts a center for special education research, would be cut by 67%. The Trump administration is planning to reform the IES to be more "meaningfully supporting and useful to practitioners," the budget justification said. The Trump administration has not waited for the annual appropriations process to reform the federal government, including at the U.S. Education Department and within the special education offices. The White House and U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon have vowed to cut what the administration calls federal waste and fraud and give local school communities and parents more decision-making authority. As part of that, the Education Department has reduced its workforce by about half, canceled more than $1 billion in grant funding, and issued an executive order to begin closing the Education Department, although legal challenges have slowed down those plans. The administration has also indicated it wants to move special education programming from the Education Department to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "We're not cutting any of the IDEA funding. It is staying intact, and so the president really has a commitment to make sure that that funding does get into the states." Linda McMahon U.S. education secretary The Education Department, in an April 28 letter to Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., said that no employees in the Office of Special Education Programs or the Rehabilitation Services Administration were subject to the March 11 layoffs at the agency. Staff at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, which is the office that oversees OSEP and RSA, who were laid off were involved in policy and administrative functions. Those roles can be reassigned or eliminated to create "a more efficient, cost effective, and accountable organizational structure," according to the letter, which was signed by Sarah Ursprung, acting assistant secretary for legislation and congressional affairs. The letter added that OSEP continues to monitor states' compliance with IDEA and has not made any changes to procedures regarding significant disproportionality, which is the IDEA requirement for determining if a school or district has racial overrepresentation or underrepresentation in special education identifications, placements or discipline. During the first Trump administration, the Education Department tried to rescind the Equity in IDEA regulation but lost a court challenge to do so. Still, some disability rights advocates and special education administrative groups worry that the federal government's move to reduce its role in education will harm civil rights protections for students and families and leave schools with fewer resources. There have been no policy guidance letters issued by OSERS or OSEP since January, and the last annual congressionally mandated report about IDEA was released in March 2024, according to the Education Department's website. However, OSERS has issued several special education-specific notices for grant applications in recent months. And OSEP released state determinations for IDEA implementation as expected in June. This crossroads comes at a time when more students are qualifying for special education services, and when expanding private school choice options are putting more pressure on public schools to serve students with disabilities who may not have access to schools of their choice. One poll, however, found parents had mixed emotions about dismantling the Education Department. When a nonprofit that provides resources to people with learning and thinking differences, asked parents with school-aged children who qualify for IDEA services or services and accommodation under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act about the issue, 30% said they were hopeful, 27% were excited, 30% were afraid, 31% were angry and 32% were anxious. Additionally, 90% of this same group of parents said they were concerned that dismantling the Education Department would impact the quality of their child's education. Since the beginning of the year, several Republican-leaning states have asked for more fiscal flexibility with federal education dollars through consolidated or block grants that carry fewer federal restrictions and requirements. Outside of IDEA funds, the FY 26 budget proposal for the entire Education Department budget recommends consolidating 18 current competitive formula funding grant programs into one $2 billion formula grant program. Supporters of the move have said states and local districts are in the best position to allocate the federal dollars, because they know the state and local needs and can spend the money more efficiently without onerous federal rules. The Education Department's FY 26 budget proposal 'lowers federal spending on duplicate and burdensome programs, safeguards critical programs like special education and Title I, and gives states and communities more flexibility and freedom to drive innovation," said Jeanne Allen, founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform, an organization supportive of private school choice, in an email to K-12 Dive. "It also respects the role of parents and boosts parental choice programs." "I just hope that IDEA doesn't become this political football that gives the Trump administration an excuse to further cut a program that's already underfunded." Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. But the Council for Exceptional Children, an organization for professionals who work in special and gifted education, said in an email to K-12 Dive that rather than spur flexibility, the FY 26 spending plan "removes vital national support for special education," because it takes away dedicated dollars for addressing educator shortages, providing training and assisting families. The budget, "makes deep cuts that would negatively impact infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and the professionals who support them," CEC said. During a May 6 forum held by Democratic senators in Washington, D.C., several members and witnesses spoke about their concerns on restructuring IDEA grant programs. "I just hope that IDEA doesn't become this political football that gives the Trump administration an excuse to further cut a program that's already underfunded," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who has sponsored a bill that calls for increasing IDEA funding by 40% of the average per pupil expenditure, or to $69.6 billion by fiscal year 2035. Kristen Scott, a high school paraprofessional who has worked for Elk River School District 728 in Minnesota for 20 years, worries about what federal spending cuts would mean for her school and says special education programs need more money, not less. She's not only concerned about cuts to annual appropriations but is also worried about potential reductions to Medicaid benefits. Schools that provide health services for students who qualify for IDEA services can be reimbursed for those costs under the program. Scott's job includes helping students with disabilities with their medical equipment, and with feeding and using the bathroom. If Medicaid or IDEA funding is reduced or cut, schools will still be legally bound to provide services required by a student's individualized education program, but that means budgets for other educational programs will be squeezed, said Scott, who is also a member of AFSCME Council 65, a labor organization. "That's just going to put us even further on our back foot and make it harder to provide the services that we need and to keep kids healthy and happy and safe," Scott said. Recommended Reading IDEA services for infants, toddlers brace for budget impacts Error al recuperar los datos Inicia sesión para acceder a tu cartera de valores Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Hawai‘i's Ready Keiki to open 50 public pre-K classrooms, adding over 1,000 new seats
Ready Keiki to add 1,000 preschool seats in major US education expansion. (AI Image) In a significant development for early childhood education in the US, Hawai'i has announced the next phase of its Ready Keiki initiative, which includes the opening of 50 new public pre-kindergarten classrooms across the state over the next two years. The move is expected to add over 1,000 new preschool seats, bringing the total number of public pre-K seats in Hawai'i to more than 2,700 by August 2026. The expansion was announced on June 18, 2025, by Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke at Kalihi Elementary School, alongside officials from the Executive Office on Early Learning (EOEL), the Hawai'i Department of Education, and Ready Keiki partners. As reported by the Maui Now, Lt. Gov. Luke emphasized the initiative's long-term goal of providing universal access to pre-K education in Hawai'i by 2032. Major classroom expansion to serve diverse communities Of the 50 classrooms planned, 25 are set to open for the 2025–2026 school year. According to the Maui Now, this expansion will serve approximately 1,000 children aged 3 and 4, with each classroom accommodating up to 20 students. The initiative prioritizes children from underserved communities, including those in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or from families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Special attention is also being given to dual-language learners and children eligible for special education services under IDEA. The rollout emphasizes geographic and social equity. As reported by the Maui Now, 21 of the 25 new classrooms will open at Title I schools, and several will be located in rural communities across O'ahu and on neighbor islands. Two Hawaiian language immersion classrooms will open at Hana High & Elementary on Maui and Hau'ula Elementary on O'ahu, highlighting the state's commitment to cultural and linguistic preservation. Strategic growth and cost-effective execution The new phase marks a significant milestone, with the opening of EOEL's 100th classroom. Yuuko Arikawa-Cross, director of EOEL, called this expansion 'a transformative moment for early learning in Hawai'i' as quoted by the Maui Now. She noted that the program now includes 117 classrooms across 89 locations. The state has managed this growth with notable fiscal discipline. According to the Maui Now, classroom renovations were completed well below budget, averaging between $291,000 and $320,000 per site—substantially less than the projected $1 million per classroom. New sites to launch across multiple islands The 25 classrooms opening in August 2025 will be spread across Maui, Hawai'i Island, Kaua'i, and O'ahu. Notable additions include Kaumuali'i Elementary, which will bring public pre-K access to over half of Kaua'i's elementary campuses, and Barbers Point Elementary, which will house Kapolei's first public preschool classroom. Applications for the EOEL Public Pre-Kindergarten Program are open and accepted on a rolling basis at For more information, families can contact EOEL at (808) 784-5350. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CAG establishes new vertical for state public sector audits
India's Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has announced the creation of a dedicated unit for auditing approximately 1,600 state public sector undertakings (PSUs). The Economic Times reported that this initiative aims to enhance the speed and efficiency of audits conducted on these enterprises. The new vertical is designed to streamline the auditing process, similar to the existing structure for Central Public Sector Enterprises. CAG officials noted that the current method, which involves senior management auditing multiple states, is time-consuming and inefficient. Deputy CAG A M Bajaj highlighted that the separate unit will facilitate the consolidation of information across state PSUs. This will enable stakeholders to make easier comparisons and improve overall transparency in the auditing process. In addition to the new vertical, the CAG is leveraging digital transformation to enhance auditing capabilities. The integration of technologies such as generative AI and optical character recognition (OCR) is expected to reduce errors and improve accuracy in voucher verification. Bajaj also mentioned that a standardised risk assessment model is being developed to ensure data-driven and risk-focused audit planning nationwide. This model will utilise tools like IDEA and Tableau to enhance the auditing framework. The upcoming State Finance Secretaries Conference, scheduled for September 2025, will address these developments as key agenda items. The CAG aims to discuss the implications of the new vertical and technological advancements in auditing. In addition, the CAG clarified that the hiring of empanelled Chartered Accountant (CA) firms for auditing central autonomous bodies will not compromise the autonomy of the apex audit body. Instead, it is expected to bolster the auditing process. The office of the CAG is currently in the process of selecting CA firms for 30 locations, with final decisions anticipated within the next two weeks. "CAG establishes new vertical for state public sector audits" was originally created and published by The Accountant, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
