Alyssah Hall
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a press conference to address President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to eliminate the Department of Education under Project 2025, a 900-plus page conservative policy guide developed by The Heritage Foundation. The guide is part of what the Foundation calls the “Presidential Transition Project” and seeks to “rescue the country from the grip of the radical Left.”
“We stand against the abolishment of the U.S. Department of Education. We stand for providing great education for all students. We stand with our immigrant families, and we call on President Trump and the U.S. Congress to reaffirm your commitment to California education, to education in this great nation,” Thurmond said during the press conference on Nov. 8.
The plan to eliminate the Department of Education is one of many proposals that come out of Project 2025, which outlines dismantling Homeland Security and a reversal of other systems like the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Section 3 of Project 2025 focuses on the Department of Education and begins by stating, “Federal education policy should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated.”
The section goes on to describe new principles that the next administration should be guided by, including “safeguarding civil rights.”
Written by the Director of the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation Lindsey Burke, one of the guiding principles states,“Enforcement of civil rights should be based on a proper understanding of those laws, rejecting gender ideology and critical race theory.”
It further goes on to explain that workforce skills of Americans who are not interested in pursuing a four-year academic degree should be bolstered and that the “playing field” should be evened between these trades and higher education establishments. Other statements mentioned include that college students using financial aid will be expected to pay it back and that schools will stop teaching gender ideology and critical race theory, among many other ideas.
“The Department of Education administers and monitors the federal financial aid that goes to our students, the FAFSA program. It allocates the Title One dollars that go to low-income students in public schools and low-income students in private schools. Let me be clear, this is not a partisan issue. This is an issue of continuing to assure that students have access to the resources that they are entitled to under the law,” Thurmond stated.
Prior to winning the election, Trump has been criticized by Democrats for his association with Project 2025. Trump continues to receive criticism with his recent cabinet nominations, which include Tesla CEO Elon Musk to oversee the new Department of Government Efficiency alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services; and Susie Wiles, who is poised to make history as the U.S.’s first female chief of staff to a president.
“President-elect Trump, while not sworn in yet, has already started selecting the members of his cabinet and has articulated a policy position that is well documented and has been for more than a year. And so, given the magnitude and the impact of what has been proposed, we cannot be flat-footed,” Thurmond said.
“We’ve begun the outreach to members of Congress…that we are prepared to sponsor legislation in this January legislative session, but we have to educate the public about this, and we cannot wait. Because if we wait, look at what might befall California students and, quite frankly, students everywhere in the nation,” Thurmond continued.
The U.S. Department of Education is a federal agency that establishes policy for, administers and coordinates most federal assistance to education. The Department of Education is responsible for providing funding for public schools, administers federal student aid programs and collects data on U.S. education. It also enforces education laws and prohibits discrimination while ensuring equal access to education.
“We want to make sure there’s a safe space for every LGBTQ + student, and those students are under attack. We want to make sure that the true history of how this country has been built is taught so we don’t repeat those atrocities that occurred and how students of color and their heritage have had different paths. We need to understand those different paths so we don’t repeat that. That is what it’s about, the safe and welcoming for all students so that we can learn together,” said Jeffery Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers.
Freitas was one of the many education leaders there to speak against Project 2025’s threat against the Department of Education.
Thurmond isn’t the only official taking preemptive measures to protect California law, Gov. Gavin Newsom, on Nov. 7, issued a proclamation for the California Legislature to convene with a special session to maintain California fundamental rights and values in the midst of another Trump administration, according to Newsom’s press release.
The session will look at strengthening California legal resources to safeguard immigrant families, reproductive freedom, civil rights and climate action.
“The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack — and we won’t sit idle. California has faced this challenge before, and we know how to respond. We are prepared, and we will do everything necessary to ensure Californians have the support and resources they need to thrive,” Newsom said in a statement.