Pa.’s largest education union braces for Trump administration’s planned changes that could impact 1.7M students

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

President-elect Donald Trump has named Linda McMahon, the former World Wrestling Wrestling Entertainment executive, as the next secretary of the Department of Education (DOE).

The appointment comes as Trump stands behind his campaign promise to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. The Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) and its 177,000 members are bracing for what is expected to come, as the new administration could bring sweeping reforms and changes to how teachers, staff and officials receive federal funds for programs in their schools.

PSEA spokesperson Chris Lilienthal explained five things to know about what dismantling the federal DOE could mean for the more than 11 million students across the commonwealth.

Point 1: Dismantling the Department of Education impacts 50 million students

The Department of Education is a cabinet-level agency established in 1980 to provide funding and programs for schools across the United States. According to their website, “The Department’s elementary and secondary programs annually serve nearly 18,200 school districts and over 50 million students attending roughly 98,000 public schools and 32,000 private schools.” The website states that “its discretionary budget alone is the third largest” and they provide “over $150 billion in new and consolidated loans annually,” for post-secondary education.

The department also plays an important role in enforcing protections for disabled and low-income students. Trump’s campaign promises to cut costs would likely see the department dismantled and the programs evaluated and divided among other agencies. Lilienthal warned, “If you start divvying up all these responsibilities across different federal agencies that have no expertise in this area, that is a recipe for chaos.”

The PSEA union represents teachers, school nurses, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, school psychologists and staff who work in K-12 public schools across Pennsylvania. Lilienthal shared concerns for how these changes could impact how to help the most vulnerable students.

“We worry about funding being delayed or services being delayed or impeded. That is going to directly impact a student’s education,” he said.

Point 2: Students would lose federally guaranteed protections unless Congress acts

Trump has pledged to eliminate “wokeness,” prohibit the recognition of gender identity, abolish diversity and inclusion programs and prevent transgender athletes from participating in girls’ sports. Title IX protections prohibit sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. But dismantling the DOE could impact those protections.

“Right now those programs are law and to change that would require the incoming president to work with the new Congress to pass legislation,” Lilienthal noted.

For now, they are safe under federal law unless the soon-to-be Republican-backed Congress votes to eliminate them as well, Lilienthal said.

“Laws that govern the civil rights of students in school settings — all of those laws would remain on the books,” she added.

Point 3: Title I funding could be at risk

In Pennsylvania, the DOE provides funding for special needs programs for students up to age 21, as well as for free and reduced-price meal programs. It also offers Title I protections — a provision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) that allocates funds to schools and districts where a high percentage of students come from low-income families. The concern is that all of this support could disappear or funds could be delayed if mishandled.

It could also affect early childhood education programs, such as free pre-K for low-income students, who have been shown to benefit in the long-term.

“We’re talking about services for students with special needs, special education services. We’re also talking about things like Title I funding, which impacts our poor school districts and empowers them to be able to hire more teachers with that funding and get students the accommodations they need,” Lilienthal said.

“So you know there’s always a transition with a new administration, but I think there is some particular concern because of some of these very, very extreme ideas.”

Erin James, press secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, said in a statement, “The U.S. Department of Education provides $1.6 billion to Pennsylvania every year for programs administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.”

James addressed the issue of federal funds provided to the state: “Every public school district in the Commonwealth receives at least some of this funding. These programs include $762 million in Title I funding to support educational opportunities for children in underperforming public schools, many in low-income communities; funding to implement the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which aims to ensure that all students have access to a world-class education that prepares them for college, career, and life; and funding for Special Education to ensure that students with disabilities have access to quality and meaningful education supports, services, and opportunities.”

James has expressed concerns about the impact the proposed changes at the DOE will have on Pennsylvania. She noted that, “Every year, Pennsylvania receives about $53 million to support afterschool and summer programming for students in high-poverty areas, $19 million to serve English Learners, $70 million dollars for teacher professional development, $55 million for technology and digital literacy, $16 million for school students with disabilities ages 3-5, $20 million for adult education, and much more.”

Point 4: Pennsylvania schools won a funding lawsuit but federal funds help offset shortfalls

Lilienthal submits that Pennsylvania has had “a long struggle to address equity in school funding.” He believes that funds from last year’s school funding lawsuit and the Basic Education Funding Commission have provided the state with financial help.

“We have every reason to believe that lawmakers and the governor will continue to focus on equitable funding to ensure every student is on a level playing field,” he added.

However, concerns persist that a reduction or lack of federal monetary support could harm our schools.

“We draw funding from federal, state, and local sources. So if we were to see a significant disinvestment in education at the federal level, it would completely undermine all the work we’ve been doing over the last couple of years here in Pennsylvania,” he said.

Point 5: PSEA promises to support educators regardless of federal changes

As teacher vacancies continue to escalate nationwide, PSEA reports a staggering 66% decline in the issuance of first-year teaching certificates over the past decade, from 2013 to 2023.

“Obviously, it’s a huge concern, and we’ve been raising the alarm about this for many years now, even going back before the pandemic. The pandemic only seemed to worsen the situation,” Lilienthal said.

Contributing factors to the decrease in educators include low wages, student behavior challenges and an uneasy political climate, all of which have added pressure to the teaching profession. Lilienthal emphasized that the PSEA plans to support existing teachers and will closely monitor developments in Washington to inform and protect its members and students from any potential changes.

“We can assure our members that we are following developments in Washington very closely,” Lilienthal said. “We’re going to make sure that their voices are heard, along with the voices of their students and their families.”

The Department of Education plays a critical role in this context, handling programs like the Pell Grant, which provides aid to low-income students for post-secondary education, and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The DOE also manages the federal student loan portfolio. It remains unclear how current developments might impact the more than 40 million student loan borrowers and approximately $1.5 trillion in student loan debt.