The U.S. Department of Education is being quietly dismantled—and the communities that rely on it most could be left behind.

Under President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon, critical responsibilities are being stripped from the department and handed off to other agencies, many with little experience in education. Offices overseeing federal funding, Native American education, foreign language grants, and support for student parents are already being scattered across the federal government.

Even more alarming: The Office for Civil Rights—charged with investigating discrimination based on race, sex, disability, or religion—has been gutted. Half the staff were laid off after a Supreme Court decision in July. Since then, backlogs of unresolved civil rights complaints have only grown, while the department’s capacity to protect vulnerable students has shrunk dramatically.

While the administration claims services will continue, there’s no guarantee that departments like Labor or Interior are equipped to take on this work.

The Department of Education plays a unique role: making sure that students with disabilities get the support they’re entitled to, that schools receive billions in federal aid, and that no student is discriminated against because of who they are or where they come from.

We can’t allow this agency to be dismantled behind closed doors.

We are calling on Congress to:

• Immediately investigate the transfer of core Education Department responsibilities to other agencies.
• Halt any further disbursement of duties without congressional oversight and public input.
• Fully fund and restaff the Office for Civil Rights to meet the needs of students.

Every student deserves a fair shot—and that starts with a federal agency that’s dedicated to protecting their rights and access to education. Dismantling the Department of Education hurts the most vulnerable. It’s time to speak out.