A federal judge in Boston granted atemporary restraining order on Tuesday, requiring President Donald Trump’s administration to reinstate the hundreds of millions of dollars of canceled fundingearmarked for teacher training programs that deploy grants across the US.
In his opinion, US District Judge Myong J. Joun found that cuts ordered by the Department of Education (DOE) in February created irreparable harm as students lost out on mentoring and training opportunities, as well as vital academic support, and teachers and administrative staff roles were forcibly eliminated due to lack of funding.
California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Wisconsin filed the lawsuiton March 6against theDOE, arguingthe department, beginning February 7, “arbitrarily”terminatedgrants previously awarded under the Teacher Quality Partnership program and the Supporting Effective Educator Development grant program, violating the Administrative Procedures Act.
The programs provided roughly $600 million in grants for teacher preparation programs that, according to data cited in the states’ 54-page complaint, increased teacher retention rates and better-equipped teachers, leading to more successful outcomes for students, “especially in rural and other underserved communities, and in hard-to-staff subjects, such as math and special education.”
The DOE wrote in a letter last month the programs were being terminated “to eliminate discrimination” in the federal government. The letter and subsequent program cancellations were part of the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to eradicate federal government diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
The court ultimately agreed with the eight states, finding the cancellation of the programs “already harmed, and will continue to harm, the programs and employees of those programs that rely on these grants,” adding the DOE had “no reasoned explanation articulated” to support the cancellation of the programs.
Hours after the court’s decision, the DOE announced Tuesday it would initiate a nearly 50 percent reduction of the department’s 4,133-person workforce, beginning March 21. All divisions of the department will be affected, “requiring significant reorganization.”
The department plans to continue providing all statutory programs under the agency’s purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, funding for special needs students, and grantmaking, according to the department’s statement.
Trump’s administration has signaled plans to cut the DOE entirely, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon has publicly committed to helping the administration unwind the 45-year-old department.