Well, the hits just keep on coming.
As the world watches on with a mix of idolization, awe, revulsion, and fear (political stripe depending), US President Donald Trump and his band of billionaire merry men have continued their blitzkrieg on the very foundations upon which their country was built: Democracy, Rule of Law, and the ideal of a government “Of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
Even as a casual observer, let alone as an opinion writer, it has been hard to follow the bouncing ball. From the tariff threats against Canada (Elbows up!) to embracing of one of the world’s most murderous dictators in Vladimir Putin, Trump is transforming his country into an entity that is becoming, quite frankly, unrecognizable as the United States of America.
Thankfully, that group of individuals to whom the traditional definition of American citizen still applies has begun to push back. Protests have been organized, lawsuits filed, and elected politicians called to task. Certainly, the recent announcement from the Oval Office reducing the power of Elon Musk’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) provides at least faint hope that some modicum of stability will be established in Washington before too much longer.
Unfortunately, the damage at this point may be irreversible.
As someone who has written extensively about the retention and recruitment challenges facing the teacher profession in general, I find myself in absolute awe of the educational idiocy I am watching unfold stateside. Lost in all the chainsaw-waving-giggling glee of Musk’s approach to reducing government spending and Trump’s wave upon wave of progress-reversing executive orders is any consideration of the long term impact all of this will have on the already reeling ranks of American educators.
Reducing Funding for Schools Teaching DEI
Among the most controversial executive orders Trump has issued on education, and indeed one of his first, was a direct assault on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in schools. This order was not a new idea for Trump. Back in 2020 Trump sought to strip federal funding from schools that promoted programs addressing issues like critical race theory (CRT), systemic inequality, and gender identity. This latest executive order solidifies the position that this government will remove funding from schools that believe diversity is good, racism is a thing, and that every child should feel welcome in school.
This doesn’t just undermine the promotion of diversity and inclusivity in classrooms; it also put immense pressure on educators. As schools begin to examine curriculum for any trace of DEI ideology, they are removing content that is integral to helping students understand complex social issues, not to mention making learning more inclusive. While Trump supporters may see this as a win, the effects on educators is far much more complex.
Teachers, already facing increasingly difficult working conditions, now have to navigate increasingly politicized classrooms. For those passionate about promoting social justice, these new edicts will undoubtedly be demoralizing. The Trump administration has also created an “EndDEI” on-line reporting system through which students and parents can report schools (and individual teachers) who they feel are promoting what are now being classified as “anti-American” ideologies.
Defunding Teacher Education Programs
In addition to targeting DEI initiatives in schools, Trump’s slash and burn approach has also resulted in millions of dollars being removed from teacher education grants. Of particular note are two programs, *The Teacher Quality Grants program and the *Supporting Effective Educator Development fund. These programs provided funding to support mentorship training programs for new teachers, similar to the way tradespeople are apprenticed.
Many of these grants were earmarked by teaching training programs to recruit diverse candidates, particularly to service high-needs schools. It is, of course, that focus on diversity that has caused the funding to be cut. What is seemingly lost on the current administration is that these efforts were part of a broader effort to reduce teacher shortages in those self same high-needs schools.
Although the vast majority of funding for teacher training comes from the individual states as opposed to from the federal government, the loss of any monies dedicated to teacher recruitment efforts will have an impact. The ripple effects are likely to be even more profound. Teacher education programs will now be under pressure to conform to a more conservative framework; a framework that curtails their efforts to recruit teachers from minority populations, or lose funding. It is of some note that at the beginning of the 2024 school year, a full four hundred thousand teaching positions in the US were either unfilled or being handled by someone without the appropriate qualifications.
Impact on Teacher Retention
When it comes to staffing schools, I have always held that retention efforts should always come before recruitment efforts. I can not fathom how this particular approach to America’s schools is going to result in anything other than a continued exodus from the profession.
Teachers in the US are already grappling with large class sizes, limited resources, low pay and plummeting professional morale. For teachers committed to fostering an inclusive and fair environment for their students, these attacks probably feel like an existential threat to their core mission. Many teachers are undoubtedly questioning whether they can remain in a system that, at least in part, is actively working against the values that drew them to education in the first place.
This is not to mention the thousands of teachers who themselves come from under-represented populations. Holding the line in the classroom on such things as discipline and academic rigor are challenging at the best of times. I can not imagine the difficulties that will be faced by teachers from minority groups trying to defend in-class decisions to often unreasonable parents in a time when the President of the United States himself is blaming everything from a weak American economy to plane crashes on DEI hiring practices.
The Larger Impact
Trump’s education policies, from cutting funding for DEI programs to defunding teacher education initiatives, are nothing if not disruptive. Indeed, that disruption seems to be something in which the President revels. However, causing this much mayhem in what was by all known measures an already fragile ecosystem comes with a huge risk.
Teachers are already hard to come by. Educational policy that intentionally reduces the potential field of candidates willing to either enter into or, more importantly, remain in the classroom is only going to make a bad situation much, much worse.
(*Author’s note: The Trump administration has recently been ordered to restore these teacher training grants in eight states. As of publication, the administration had not complied)
frostededucation
Trump 2.0 could be death-blow-dealing to teacher retention and recruitment efforts.
Well, the hits just keep on coming.
As the world watches on with a mix of idolization, awe, revulsion, and fear (political stripe depending), US President Donald Trump and his band of billionaire merry men have continued their blitzkrieg on the very foundations upon which their country was built: Democracy, Rule of Law, and the ideal of a government “Of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
Even as a casual observer, let alone as an opinion writer, it has been hard to follow the bouncing ball. From the tariff threats against Canada (Elbows up!) to embracing of one of the world’s most murderous dictators in Vladimir Putin, Trump is transforming his country into an entity that is becoming, quite frankly, unrecognizable as the United States of America.
Thankfully, that group of individuals to whom the traditional definition of American citizen still applies has begun to push back. Protests have been organized, lawsuits filed, and elected politicians called to task. Certainly, the recent announcement from the Oval Office reducing the power of Elon Musk’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) provides at least faint hope that some modicum of stability will be established in Washington before too much longer.
Unfortunately, the damage at this point may be irreversible.
As someone who has written extensively about the retention and recruitment challenges facing the teacher profession in general, I find myself in absolute awe of the educational idiocy I am watching unfold stateside. Lost in all the chainsaw-waving-giggling glee of Musk’s approach to reducing government spending and Trump’s wave upon wave of progress-reversing executive orders is any consideration of the long term impact all of this will have on the already reeling ranks of American educators.
Reducing Funding for Schools Teaching DEI
Among the most controversial executive orders Trump has issued on education, and indeed one of his first, was a direct assault on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in schools. This order was not a new idea for Trump. Back in 2020 Trump sought to strip federal funding from schools that promoted programs addressing issues like critical race theory (CRT), systemic inequality, and gender identity. This latest executive order solidifies the position that this government will remove funding from schools that believe diversity is good, racism is a thing, and that every child should feel welcome in school.
This doesn’t just undermine the promotion of diversity and inclusivity in classrooms; it also put immense pressure on educators. As schools begin to examine curriculum for any trace of DEI ideology, they are removing content that is integral to helping students understand complex social issues, not to mention making learning more inclusive. While Trump supporters may see this as a win, the effects on educators is far much more complex.
Teachers, already facing increasingly difficult working conditions, now have to navigate increasingly politicized classrooms. For those passionate about promoting social justice, these new edicts will undoubtedly be demoralizing. The Trump administration has also created an “EndDEI” on-line reporting system through which students and parents can report schools (and individual teachers) who they feel are promoting what are now being classified as “anti-American” ideologies.
Defunding Teacher Education Programs
In addition to targeting DEI initiatives in schools, Trump’s slash and burn approach has also resulted in millions of dollars being removed from teacher education grants. Of particular note are two programs, *The Teacher Quality Grants program and the *Supporting Effective Educator Development fund. These programs provided funding to support mentorship training programs for new teachers, similar to the way tradespeople are apprenticed.
Many of these grants were earmarked by teaching training programs to recruit diverse candidates, particularly to service high-needs schools. It is, of course, that focus on diversity that has caused the funding to be cut. What is seemingly lost on the current administration is that these efforts were part of a broader effort to reduce teacher shortages in those self same high-needs schools.
Although the vast majority of funding for teacher training comes from the individual states as opposed to from the federal government, the loss of any monies dedicated to teacher recruitment efforts will have an impact. The ripple effects are likely to be even more profound. Teacher education programs will now be under pressure to conform to a more conservative framework; a framework that curtails their efforts to recruit teachers from minority populations, or lose funding. It is of some note that at the beginning of the 2024 school year, a full four hundred thousand teaching positions in the US were either unfilled or being handled by someone without the appropriate qualifications.
Impact on Teacher Retention
When it comes to staffing schools, I have always held that retention efforts should always come before recruitment efforts. I can not fathom how this particular approach to America’s schools is going to result in anything other than a continued exodus from the profession.
Teachers in the US are already grappling with large class sizes, limited resources, low pay and plummeting professional morale. For teachers committed to fostering an inclusive and fair environment for their students, these attacks probably feel like an existential threat to their core mission. Many teachers are undoubtedly questioning whether they can remain in a system that, at least in part, is actively working against the values that drew them to education in the first place.
This is not to mention the thousands of teachers who themselves come from under-represented populations. Holding the line in the classroom on such things as discipline and academic rigor are challenging at the best of times. I can not imagine the difficulties that will be faced by teachers from minority groups trying to defend in-class decisions to often unreasonable parents in a time when the President of the United States himself is blaming everything from a weak American economy to plane crashes on DEI hiring practices.
The Larger Impact
Trump’s education policies, from cutting funding for DEI programs to defunding teacher education initiatives, are nothing if not disruptive. Indeed, that disruption seems to be something in which the President revels. However, causing this much mayhem in what was by all known measures an already fragile ecosystem comes with a huge risk.
Teachers are already hard to come by. Educational policy that intentionally reduces the potential field of candidates willing to either enter into or, more importantly, remain in the classroom is only going to make a bad situation much, much worse.
(*Author’s note: The Trump administration has recently been ordered to restore these teacher training grants in eight states. As of publication, the administration had not complied)
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Filed under American education, Education Policy, Educational Change, Educational commentary, Neoliberalism, Public education, Teacher shortage, Teacher Training
Tagged as American Education System under Trump, public education, Teacher shortage, Trump 2.0 education