PreK-12 Education

Department of Education

Donald Trump has been very open with his attacks on public education, and he has made no secret about his goal to abolish the Department of Education.

To accomplish his goal, he is counting on you, and parents across the country, to be uninformed about the impact this will have on your day-to-day life.

Despite what Trump says, states and local districts are already in charge of their schools; what Trump is not saying is that Education Department funding helps states ensure all their kids have access to an education.

Funding from the Department of Education helps state and local districts fund every school. Without it, state and local districts will have to make up the costs covered by the federal government.

Dismantling the Education Department will be a funding cut for every student:

26 million kids across every school district—rural, suburban and urban—will lose access to critical funding to help them get ahead.
12 million students will lose access to career and technical education, including pathways to well-paying jobs through apprenticeship programs in trades or STEM careers.
10 million students from lower-income families could lose access to two- and four-year colleges due to cost.
7.5 million students with Individualized Education Plans—accounting for 15 percent of all students nationally—will lose access to special education services funding.

Take a look below at how these extreme cuts will impact your state.

Vouchers

Parents, teachers and students are fighting for the future of public education—and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Billionaires and political insiders are pushing voucher schemes and tax credit scams that drain billions from our neighborhood public schools and send our public tax dollars to private interests.

Take Action

This toolkit is designed as a resource to help pro-public school advocates oppose attempts to create or expand existing voucher schemes. Take a look and join the fight!

Public Schools Are the Backbone of Our Democracy

Public education reflects our shared values: opportunity, equity and civic responsibility.
Every child deserves access to a strong, free public education—no matter their background or ZIP code.
In diverse communities, public schools help students learn to bridge differences and build a stronger democracy.

Trump’s ‘Scholarship Tax Credit’ Is a Voucher by Another Name

Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress share one goal: to defund and dismantle the public schools that serve 90 percent of our students—schools that welcome all children and remain the heart of our communities.

The new federal “scholarship tax credit” diverts billions in public funds to private schools with no accountability. This scheme could cost taxpayers up to $51 billion a year, more than the federal government spends on all public K–12 education.

Know the Facts about Vouchers

❌ Vouchers Undermine Students, Teachers and Communities

Vouchers drain critical funding from public schools to subsidize private ones.
Vouchers create a second, unregulated system that leaves most kids behind, including our rural and low-income communities.
Vouchers don’t save taxpayers money, and in many cases, they increase costs to taxpayers.

❌ Vouchers Harm Vulnerable Students

Private voucher schools can reject students with disabilities and deny individualized education program services.
Voucher recipients can discriminate against LGBTQIA+ students and families—and many do.
Vouchers have roots in segregation and disproportionately benefit white students, worsening inequality.

❌ No Oversight, No Accountability

Vouchers don’t improve student outcomes.
Voucher programs lack transparency and taxpayer safeguards, opening the door to fraud, waste and abuse.
Religious voucher schools often enforce discriminatory admissions and curriculum policies.

Protect our Kids

The Protect Our Kids campaign is mobilizing educators, parents, students and community allies to fight against devastating cuts to public education. The Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and block grant federal education programs would strip critical funding from millions of students. This toolkit provides the resources you need to take action and defend our public schools. Every action in this campaign is rooted in strengthening—not undermining—our local public schools and ensuring that lawmakers prioritize kids over tax cuts.