The National Black Justice Collective (NBJC) is strongly condemning former President Donald Trump’s executive order to begin dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, calling the move a direct assault on civil rights, democracy, and public education.
“It is a calculated step in the agenda to dismantle public education, funnel taxpayer dollars into private school vouchers, and eliminate protections for Black students, LGBTQ+ students, students from low-income backgrounds, students in rural communities, and students with disabilities, leaving young people without the support needed to succeed. To be clear, the goal remains changing the rules of the game via policy and subsequent practice to further enrich a small group of extremely wealthy, mostly white men, at the expense of everyone else.”
–Dr. David J. Johns, CEO and Executive Director of the National Black Justice Collective (NBJC),
Signed on March 20, the executive order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dissolving the Carter-era agency despite Trump’s lack of the authority to fully abolish it without congressional approval. While “critical functions” like Pell Grants and student loans may remain intact, the NBJC warns that key safeguards and federal oversight will be erased, leaving students vulnerable.
Dr. Johns highlighted that the order endangers programs like Title I—which supports 26 million students from low-income backgrounds—and IDEA, which guarantees learning accommodations for 7.4 million students with disabilities. Pell Grant recipients and rural districts, many in red states, also face significant setbacks.
Proponents of this move claim this is about ‘returning control to the states,’ but we’ve seen this playbook before. It’s the same strategy conservatives have used for decades—turning federal education funding into block grants that states can slash with no accountability. The result? Less money for public schools, fewer resources for students, including educators, and larger class sizes. By removing federal oversight, this Administration will give states a blank check to defund education and shift funds to school voucher programs robbing public schools of desperately needed resources. This process results in more ultra-wealthy individuals and corporations profiting while the opportunities for individual students and their families, communities, and, ultimately, our country are weakened. What’s great about a country whose citizens are denied opportunities to develop the skills required to compete in the global 21st-century economy?
In recent months, Trump has overseen the mass firing of Department of Education employees, slashing staff by 50% and terminating key diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Reports indicate officials were offered payouts of up to $25,000 to resign voluntarily, part of a broader push aligned with Project 2025—a conservative roadmap to reshape government.
The NBJC argues that without the Department of Education, federal civil rights enforcement in schools disappears, eliminating protections against discrimination based on race, gender, disability, and sexual orientation. “This gives states a blank check to defund schools and silence marginalized students,” said Johns.
NBJC calls for immediate legal and legislative action to halt the executive order. “We urge Congress, state leaders, and education advocates to act now. The future of public education—and of our children—is at stake,” said Johns.
As courts weigh potential legal challenges, advocacy groups, parents, and students are mobilizing to voice opposition to what Johns calls “a dangerous and unconstitutional power grab.”
“Our democracy depends on a functioning, equitable public education system,” he said. “We cannot stand by as decades of progress are undone.”