The first message Linda McMahon, the new Secretary of Education sent to her staff was we’re shutting down.
What happens to the Title 1 Dollars? The 1.5 billion federal education dollars formerly going to New York State?
Trump, McMahon and their acolytes shout education belongs to the states: time for a little history lesson.
Yes, the 10th Amendment to the Constitution says powers not delegated are reserved for the states, since education is not mentioned in the Constitution it is a state responsibility.
Villages, towns and cities created schools and states formed educational governance structures, governors appointed state boards of education who hire a commissioner and establish graduation requirements for students and teacher preparation standards for teachers, In some states the powers expanded to cover many professions. In New York State the Board of Regents, regulates dentistry and nursing and a wide range of professions. A major function of the state is funding schools, in most states through property taxes and state revenues and federal dollars.
The funding formula in NYS has been litigated (CFE v NYS) for decades and not resolved, the state legislature, pre Trump election, was going to consider revising the out-of-date funding formula. As we enter the final weeks of budget negotiations the governor, the Assembly and the Senate are engaged in discussions. Of course with massive Trump budget cuts looming the entire state budgeting process may undergo last minute dramatic changes. Education, from its very origin, has been a state responsibility.
As part of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society initiative the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) became law, Title 1 of the law provided additional funding to the schools of the most impoverished children. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) followed and President Carter collected all the federal education programs into cabinet level status in 1980. Today about 10% of state funding comes from the federal government: Title 1, IDEA, Pell Grants and other student loan programs, as well as funding a wide range of research (The What Works Clearinghouse) and assessment, NAEP, the National Assessment of Education Progress: testing and ranking states and large cities every third year in a number of areas.
The just voted actual cuts in the budget and the federal bureaucracy are extensive, including sharp reductions in Medicaid and school lunch, among many others: will states eliminate the programs or reduce other programs to keep Medicaid and school lunch at current levels?
A Scylla or Charybdis choice for states: do you reduce Medicaid? school lunch? or education funding at the school level? Tax the rich? Don’t get your hopes up.
The Governor’s preliminary budget, released at the end of January, does not reflect the proposed slashes in the federal budget, in fact, is an April 1 budget possible?
In 1975 the contract negotiations were dragging, after strikes in 1968 and 1969 the union was rebuilding a citywide school coalition as well as being tagged as a “racist” union by its enemies, who were many. As the months passed, the city cried poverty, the “no contract, no work” mantra confronted the union. The negotiations committee, although divided, recommended extending the contract by a month, more time to resolve differences. Days before the opening of school 14,000 teachers received letters beginning “We regret to inform you …” a layoff letter.
To shouts of “We won’t come back until we all come back” the Delegates voted to strike. The city was planning to declare bankruptcy, with the union on strike the courts and a bankruptcy judge would mold the contract, the union scrambled to return, and weeks later actually agreed to the Teachers Retirement System loaning the city money, the city averted bankruptcy, the loan was repaid. Within three years all the laid off teachers were offered jobs, many had moved on.
The “racist” union became the savior of the city.
Can 1975 be replicated in 2025? Can federal budget cuts slash the New York City budget?
Could the new mayor decide to lay off city employees to avert bankruptcy?
I have no idea, nor has anyone else, however, my worry meter is inching up.
Congress passed a “continuing resolution,” actually a horrific budget, the stock market is spiraling down: what are we facing? I chant my mantra and hope for the best. Many of the Trump/Musk actions are being challenged in the courts, and appear to be heading to the Supreme Court. Will the court declare the actions unconstitutional and if Trump ignores the decision what happens?
In 1975 Al Shanker saved the city, and the union, and probably teacher pensions. When Detroit declared bankruptcy, the resolution included reducing public employee pensions.
Do you trust the opposition caucuses to lead in the imminent tsunami?
The opposition caucuses are clueless, and Mulgrew, and his highly competent team have the experience and the “smarts” to steer the ship.
I know some will say, “scare tactics,” no, just reality, and I hear, “What can I do?” You can make sure you check the Unity box on the ballot, and get involved, donate a few bucks to the DNC, call your electeds, we all matter.
Ed in the Apple: Blogging on the Intersection of Education and Politics Title 