In a disheartening blow that undermines the right of every child to receive a quality public education, the Supreme Court issued a ruling a few weeks ago allowing President Donald Trump to proceed with his plan to dismantle the Department of Education by laying off nearly half of its workforce.
As a mother of two boys in public schools and the product of public schools myself, this news was disturbing to say the least. Without any explanation, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump Administration to begin dismantling a cabinet agency, created by Congress, that is tasked with fulfilling the federal government’s obligation to support public education. And make no mistake, this Administration will do everything in its power to hobble our nation’s schools—by cutting funding, supports, programming, and accountability measures that are critical to ensure every student has equal access and can live up to their potential.
But state attorneys general have the power to fight back. And while this case was a meaningful setback, it is only one battle among many we are fighting to protect our children and our future. With the rule of law on our side, we are winning far more than we are losing. The Courts have largely recognized that in America, we elect a president, not a king, and he doesn’t have the power to unilaterally override Congress’ power of the purse.
Read more at Time.
