Trump Moves to Gut the Department of Education — What Happens Now?

Trump Voters Got What They Asked For — The Dismantling of the Department of Education

Here we are—exactly where Trump voters steered us. The Department of Education is on the chopping block, and it’s not by accident. This was the plan all along: dismantle anything designed to help the poor, the working class, and marginalized families. Shift the money—billions of dollars—straight into the pockets of the rich, the corporations, the people who never needed help in the first place.

And now I gotta ask: how you expect the next generation to get better jobs when there’s no system in place to guide them? When the very department tasked with overseeing education, ensuring equal access, and protecting students—especially Black, Latino, and low-income families—is gutted?

Let’s be clear about what the Department of Education actually does, especially for the people who need it most:

Why Did the Department of Education Matter — And What Do We Lose Without It?

What the Department of Education Fights For — And What You’re Losing

This is the lifeline for schools in low-income neighborhoods — urban and rural.
Title I pumps billions into schools where poverty is high, where parents can’t afford PTA fundraisers or new science labs.
It means kids don’t have to sit in classrooms with peeling paint, broken AC, outdated textbooks from the ’90s.
Without it? The rich schools get richer. Poor schools crumble — literally.

Pell Grants:

You know why some of us made it to college? Pell Grants.
Not loans — grants — free money aimed directly at students whose parents couldn’t write a tuition check.
This is how first-gen Black, Latino, and low-income students climbed up — into college, into degrees, into jobs that paid more than minimum wage.
Without the Department? Pell shrinks or disappears — and college becomes exclusive again.

Special Education (IDEA):

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the reason kids with disabilities have rights — legal rights — in public schools.
It forces schools to serve every child — not just the ones who can afford private testing, tutors, or fancy therapy.
It pays for aides, for special classes, for real support.
Take the Department away? These kids get left behind — again.

Civil Rights Protections:

This is the department that steps in when schools discriminate — based on race, gender, disability, sexual orientation.
They investigate when your kid gets suspended for wearing their natural hair or when Black kids get harsher punishments than white kids for the same thing.
They push schools to desegregate, to give equal access, to follow the law.
Without them? There’s no one left to check the system — and y’all know who that hurts first.

Student Loan Protections:

The Department regulates lenders, cracks down on predatory loan programs, and runs forgiveness programs for students buried in debt — especially those from low-income homes.
It helps teachers, nurses, social workers — the backbone of the community — escape a lifetime of debt.
Without it? Banks get free rein. And you? You owe forever.

Support for English Language Learners:

For millions of immigrant kids, this is survival.
The Department funds programs that help students learn English while keeping up in math, science, reading — so they don’t fall behind just because they speak another language.
It’s what helps entire generations integrate and thrive instead of being pushed to the side.

For decades, the Department of Education helped lift the burden off parents—especially in Black and Latino communities—making sure kids had a shot at breaking generational poverty.

Now? That’s gone.

What y’all voted for — what you cheered for — is a system designed so only the rich win. Period.
The only kids getting a solid education now?
The ones whose parents can afford it — private schools, exclusive academies, rich districts where the property taxes fund million-dollar classrooms.

The rest? Left behind.
Stuck in schools with no resources, no programs, no future.
No art. No music. No mental health support. Just a bare-bones setup to shuffle kids through until they’re old enough to work minimum wage.

And while you out here grinding — picking up overtime, side hustles, stressing over how to scrape up tuition or find a "good school" —
They out here laying folks off, slashing diversity programs, gutting DEI, killing anything that was designed to help Black, Latino, and low-income families catch up.
Everything that gave our kids a fighting chance? Gone.

And don’t get it twisted — this ain’t by accident.
This is systemic destruction, brick by brick, program by program.
They knew exactly who this would hit.
Black families. Latino families. Poor families. Us.

But hey — y’all voted for this, right?
Y’all said you was tired of the government, tired of the feds in your business.
“We don’t need Washington telling us how to educate our kids.”
Cool.
Now what?

Options for Low-Income Families to Access Quality Education

Despite cuts and setbacks, low-income families still have education options. Here’s what’s available and how to build resources yourself.

What’s Still Out There (for Now):

1. Public Charter Schools

• Some charters offer better resources, smaller class sizes, and specialized programs (STEM, arts, college prep).

• They’re free, but quality varies — do your research.

• Tip: Apply early — most have lotteries due to demand.

2. Magnet Schools

• Public schools with specialized programs (science, tech, arts, language).

• Still free, often more diverse, with better funding than neighborhood schools.

• Competitive entry — grades, tests, or auditions may be required.

3. Pell Grants & State Grants (for College)

• Free money (not loans) for low-income students to attend college or vocational programs.

• Apply early through FAFSA — deadlines matter.

4. Community College & Trade Programs

• Affordable paths to real careers — HVAC, welding, nursing, IT certifications.

• 2-year degrees or programs that lead straight to jobs — no debt trap.

5. Local Nonprofits, Foundations, and After-School Programs

• Many still offer tutoring, mentorship, tech access, even meals.

• Groups like Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, Urban League, local churches often hold free programs.

• Check locally — every city has resources people overlook.

6. Public Library Programs

• Free internet, homework help, coding classes, reading programs.

• Libraries are still one of the best free resources for parents willing to show up.

What You Might Have to Build or Invest in Yourself:

1. Parent-Led Learning Pods / Study Groups

• Link up with other parents — create your own small learning groups.

• Rotate homes, share resources, use free online curriculum (Khan Academy, YouTube EDU).

• Cuts costs, builds community, keeps kids engaged.

2. Crowdfunding for Education

• GoFundMe for school supplies, tutors, or extracurriculars — it works.

• People will donate if you show the struggle is real and for the kids.

3. Online Learning Resources

• Khan Academy, Duolingo, Coursera (some free courses), Code.org — free knowledge if you can help your kid stay focused.

• It ain’t perfect, but it’s better than nothing.

4. School District Advocacy / Show Up at Board Meetings

• Fight for the little funding that’s left — demand resources stay in your school.

• If you’re silent, they cut your school first. Get loud.

5. Local Scholarships for K-12 or Private Schools

• Some private schools and local groups offer scholarships for Black, Latino, or low-income students — you just gotta dig.

• Churches, community centers, local businesses sometimes sponsor kids.

The system is stacked.
But there are ways to hustle for your kid — through the cracks, through the community, through each other.

It ain’t gonna be easy.
They’re cutting DEI, laying folks off, gutting public education — everything designed to help us.

But if we organize, share info, build together, there’s still ways to fight for these kids.
Closed mouths don’t get fed — and neither do our kids.