Latest news with #DoEd
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Education Dept launches widespread civil rights probe: A look at what the agency does as Trump eyes shutdown
The Department of Education (DoEd) is launching discrimination investigations into 45 universities for allegedly engaging in "race-exclusionary practices" within their scholarship and graduate programs. "The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination," Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said of the newly launched investigations. "Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment." The DoEd enforces nondiscrimination policies in federally funded schools through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR). As cuts are made to the department, the OCR will continue to "investigate complaints and vigorously enforce federal civil rights laws," Madi Biedermann, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications at the Department of Education, said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. Other main facets of the department include overseeing some funding, managing student loans, financial aid, and enforcing nondiscrimination policies in schools, while most education itself is dealt with at the state level. Nearly Half Of Department Of Education Staff Will Be Eliminated Imminently The department acknowledges that "education is primarily a state and local responsibility in the United States," with about 92% of all school funding coming from non-federal sources. Read On The Fox News App President Donald Trump has been making significant cuts to the department as part of his goal to eventually close it "so that the states, instead of bureaucrats working in Washington, can run education." But the administration has said that the cuts that have been made "will not directly impact students and families." "President Trump's goal is to cut federal bureaucracy and return education authority to the states because the dollars and decision-making should be closest to students," Savannah Newhouse, a Department of Education spokesperson, told Fox News Digital. "Despite misconceptions, the Department of Education does not control school curricula, decide teacher pay, set who qualifies for student aid and how much they receive, operate schools, or serve as the primary source of funding for schools." Newhouse added the department seeks "to reduce bureaucratic barriers in education, the federal government will continue to be a partner to provide best practices, investigate discrimination, and ensure states have the tools necessary to help our nation's students succeed." One of the largest offices within the department is Federal Student Aid (FSA), which manages the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and provides about $120.8 billion in grants or loans to students each year, the department says. Ohio College 'Illegally Forcing Students' To Share Bathrooms With Opposite Sex: Watchdog The Trump administration recently cut nearly half the workforce at the DoEd. Yet, "[n]o employees working on the FAFSA, student loan servicing, and Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title funds — including formula and discretionary grants programs — were impacted," Biedermann said in a statement. In its early years, the department made specific requirements when allocating funding to schools, such as requiring higher education institutions to offer a campus drug and alcohol abuse prevention program under the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, which was passed in 1989. When it comes to federal funds, a contribution of about 8% to education funding, the allocation of some money tends to vary by administration. A recent study previously reported by Fox News Digital found that under former President Joe Biden, the DoEd spent $1 billion on grants advancing DEI in hiring. The Biden administration reportedly spent $489,883,797 on grants for race-based hiring, $343,337,286 on general DEI programming and $169,301,221 on DEI-based mental health training and programming, according to a report by Parents Defending Education, a right-leaning nonprofit. Meanwhile, in 2025, the Trump administration slashed hundreds of millions in the department's funding for DEI practices. The president warned that any federally-funded institutions of higher education practicing DEI initiatives could lose their federal dollars. "The federal government provides 10% of the money, but with it effectively sets more than half of policy for public schools," Max Eden, a senior fellow specializing in education at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), told Fox News Digital. "If the Department were cut, the federal financial contribution would likely remain stable, but schools would be fundamentally more free to govern themselves according to local priorities and values." The department, however, does not develop curriculum requirements, which are left to the state and local school boards to decide. In Oklahoma, since 2024, all public schools are required to incorporate the Bible and the Ten Commandments into their curricula for grades 5-10. Meanwhile, in 2016, the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) set health education standards for public schools in the state that required children in kindergarten and first grade to learn that "there are many ways to express gender." Additionally, the department does not accredit universities, meaning it does not determine whether a school meets a certain level of education standards to receive federal funding. "The federal government does not control education — the states do, local school boards do. This is about opportunity," McMahon told Fox News' Laura Ingraham amid the workforce cuts. "That is why so many people are so mad about it, because they're just taking opportunity away from kids who don't have it." Fox News Digital reached out to the DoEd for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. Fox News Digital's Taylor Penley, Greg Wehner, Jamie Joseph and Jessica Chasmar contributed to this article source: Education Dept launches widespread civil rights probe: A look at what the agency does as Trump eyes shutdown
Fox News
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Education Dept launches widespread civil rights probe: A look at what the agency does as Trump eyes shutdown
The Department of Education (DoEd) is launching discrimination investigations into 45 universities for allegedly engaging in "race-exclusionary practices" within their scholarship and graduate programs. "The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination," Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said of the newly launched investigations. "Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment." The DoEd enforces nondiscrimination policies in federally funded schools through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR). As cuts are made to the department, the OCR will continue to "investigate complaints and vigorously enforce federal civil rights laws," Madi Biedermann, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications at the Department of Education, said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. Other main facets of the department include overseeing some funding, managing student loans, financial aid, and enforcing nondiscrimination policies in schools, while most education itself is dealt with at the state level. The department acknowledges that "education is primarily a state and local responsibility in the United States," with about 92% of all school funding coming from non-federal sources. President Donald Trump has been making significant cuts to the department as part of his goal to eventually close it "so that the states, instead of bureaucrats working in Washington, can run education." But the administration has said that the cuts that have been made "will not directly impact students and families." One of the largest offices within the department is Federal Student Aid (FSA), which manages the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and provides about $120.8 billion in grants or loans to students each year, the department says. The Trump administration recently cut nearly half the workforce at the DoEd. Yet, "[n]o employees working on the FAFSA, student loan servicing, and Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title funds — including formula and discretionary grants programs — were impacted," Biedermann said in a statement. In its early years, the department made specific requirements when allocating funding to schools, such as requiring higher education institutions to offer a campus drug and alcohol abuse prevention program under the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, which was passed in 1989. When it comes to federal funds, a contribution of about 8% to education funding, the allocation of some money tends to vary by administration. A recent study previously reported by Fox News Digital found that under former President Joe Biden, the DoEd spent $1 billion on grants advancing DEI in hiring. The Biden administration reportedly spent $489,883,797 on grants for race-based hiring, $343,337,286 on general DEI programming and $169,301,221 on DEI-based mental health training and programming, according to a report by Parents Defending Education, a right-leaning nonprofit. Meanwhile, in 2025, the Trump administration slashed hundreds of millions in the department's funding for DEI practices. The president warned that any federally-funded institutions of higher education practicing DEI initiatives could lose their federal dollars. "The federal government provides 10% of the money, but with it effectively sets more than half of policy for public schools," Max Eden, a senior fellow specializing in education at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), told Fox News Digital. "If the Department were cut, the federal financial contribution would likely remain stable, but schools would be fundamentally more free to govern themselves according to local priorities and values." The department, however, does not develop curriculum requirements, which are left to the state and local school boards to decide. In Oklahoma, since 2024, all public schools are required to incorporate the Bible and the Ten Commandments into their curricula for grades 5-10. Meanwhile, in 2016, the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) set health education standards for public schools in the state that required children in kindergarten and first grade to learn that "there are many ways to express gender." Additionally, the department does not accredit universities, meaning it does not determine whether a school meets a certain level of education standards to receive federal funding. "The federal government does not control education — the states do, local school boards do. This is about opportunity," McMahon told Fox News' Laura Ingraham amid the workforce cuts. "That is why so many people are so mad about it, because they're just taking opportunity away from kids who don't have it." Fox News Digital reached out to the DoEd for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
McMahon on Day 1 launches 'final mission' to send education back to the states
FIRST ON FOX: Linda McMahon, in her first act as Secretary of Education, is informing all employees that she will lead a "momentous final mission" to send education back to the states, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. McMahon is sending a letter to all Department of Education (DoEd) employees on Monday evening, informing them of a "new era of accountability" as she oversees President Donald Trump's promise to dissolve the department. "Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education—a momentous final mission—quickly and responsibly," McMahon wrote to employees in the letter that was shared first with Fox News Digital. The secretary said that the reconstruction of the department will "profoundly" impact staff, budgets and agency operations. Department Of Education Launches 'Enddei' Portal For Parents, Students, Teachers To Report Discrimination Under McMahon, the department will work from three base convictions, according to her letter: that parents are the primary decision makers in their children's education, that taxpayer-funded education should refocus on "meaningful learning in math, reading, science, and history—not divisive DEI programs and gender ideology," and that post-secondary education should be a path to a well-paying career aligned with workforce needs. Read On The Fox News App "Removing red tape and bureaucratic barriers will empower parents to make the best educational choices for their children," the letter reads. "An effective transfer of educational oversight to the states will mean more autonomy for local communities. Teachers, too, will benefit from less micromanagement in the classroom—enabling them to get back to basics. " Trump has said that his goal is to "immediately" close the DoEd and that, in the process, he wants McMahon to "put herself out of a job." "My vision is aligned with the President's: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children," McMahon told employees on Monday evening. "The Department of Education's role in this new era of accountability is to restore the rightful role of state oversight in education and to end the overreach from Washington." The Trump administration would need congressional approval in order to eliminate the federal department, and McMahon said that she will be partnering with the legislative branch "to determine the best path forward to fulfill the expectations of the President and the American people" in an effort to "eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy so that our colleges, K-12 schools, students, and teachers can innovate and thrive." Judge Blocks Doge From Accessing Education Department Records "As I've learned many times throughout my career, disruption leads to innovation and gets results," the secretary wrote. "We must start thinking about our final mission at the department as an overhaul—a last chance to restore the culture of liberty and excellence that made American education great." The letter also applauded recent orders by the Trump administration to eliminate critical race theory (CRT), gender ideology, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), while "restoring patriotic education and civics" in schools. "This review of our programs is long overdue," McMahon said. "The Department of Education is not working as intended. Since its establishment in 1980, taxpayers have entrusted the department with over $1 trillion, yet student outcomes have consistently languished." "American education can be the greatest in the world. It ought not to be corrupted by political ideologies, special interests, and unjust discrimination. Parents, teachers, and students alike deserve better," McMahon wrote in the letter. The secretary, who was confirmed by the Senate on Monday evening, encouraged employees to join the mission. "This is our opportunity to perform one final, unforgettable public service to future generations of students," she said. "I hope you will join me in ensuring that when our final mission is complete, we will all be able to say that we left American education freer, stronger, and with more hope for the future." Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for further comment but did not immediately hear article source: McMahon on Day 1 launches 'final mission' to send education back to the states
Fox News
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
McMahon on Day 1 launches 'final mission' to send education back to the states
FIRST ON FOX: Linda McMahon, in her first act as Secretary of Education, is informing all employees that she will lead a "momentous final mission" to send education back to the states, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. McMahon is sending a letter to all Department of Education (DoEd) employees on Monday evening, informing them of a "new era of accountability" as she oversees President Donald Trump's promise to dissolve the department. "Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education—a momentous final mission—quickly and responsibly," McMahon wrote to employees in the letter that was shared first with Fox News Digital. The secretary said that the reconstruction of the department will "profoundly" impact staff, budgets and agency operations. Under McMahon, the department will work from three base convictions, according to her letter: that parents are the primary decision makers in their children's education, that taxpayer-funded education should refocus on "meaningful learning in math, reading, science, and history—not divisive DEI programs and gender ideology," and that post-secondary education should be a path to a well-paying career aligned with workforce needs. "Removing red tape and bureaucratic barriers will empower parents to make the best educational choices for their children," the letter reads. "An effective transfer of educational oversight to the states will mean more autonomy for local communities. Teachers, too, will benefit from less micromanagement in the classroom—enabling them to get back to basics. " Trump has said that his goal is to "immediately" close the DoEd and that, in the process, he wants McMahon to "put herself out of a job." "My vision is aligned with the President's: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children," McMahon told employees on Monday evening. "The Department of Education's role in this new era of accountability is to restore the rightful role of state oversight in education and to end the overreach from Washington." The Trump administration would need congressional approval in order to eliminate the federal department, and McMahon said that she will be partnering with the legislative branch "to determine the best path forward to fulfill the expectations of the President and the American people" in an effort to "eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy so that our colleges, K-12 schools, students, and teachers can innovate and thrive." "As I've learned many times throughout my career, disruption leads to innovation and gets results," the secretary wrote. "We must start thinking about our final mission at the department as an overhaul—a last chance to restore the culture of liberty and excellence that made American education great." The letter also applauded recent orders by the Trump administration to eliminate critical race theory (CRT), gender ideology, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), while "restoring patriotic education and civics" in schools. "This review of our programs is long overdue," McMahon said. "The Department of Education is not working as intended. Since its establishment in 1980, taxpayers have entrusted the department with over $1 trillion, yet student outcomes have consistently languished." "American education can be the greatest in the world. It ought not to be corrupted by political ideologies, special interests, and unjust discrimination. Parents, teachers, and students alike deserve better," McMahon wrote in the letter. The secretary, who was confirmed by the Senate on Monday evening, encouraged employees to join the mission. "This is our opportunity to perform one final, unforgettable public service to future generations of students," she said. "I hope you will join me in ensuring that when our final mission is complete, we will all be able to say that we left American education freer, stronger, and with more hope for the future." Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for further comment but did not immediately hear back.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge blocks DOGE from accessing Education Department records
A federal judge appointed by former President Joe Biden is temporarily blocking Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing personal records at the Department of Education (DoEd) as part of their cost-cutting sweep. Judge Deborah Boardman of Greenbelt, Maryland, issued a temporary restraining order on Monday against DOGE's access to records at the DoEd containing personal sensitive information on Americans, including financial data related to federal student loans. The order established a two-week restraining order against the DoEd and the Office of Personnel Management from sharing information with the newly formed cost-cutting department. "This continuing, unauthorized disclosure of the plaintiffs' sensitive personal information to DOGE affiliates is irreparable harm that money damages cannot rectify," Boardman wrote in the decision. Caesars Palace, Mlb Stadium, An Ice Cream Truck: Doge Reveals How Schools Spent Billions In Covid-relief Funds The order stems from a lawsuit filed against the administration alleging that "the agencies unlawfully granted access to records that contain their personally identifiable information ("PII") to personnel implementing the President's Executive Orders on the DOGE agenda." Read On The Fox News App "The plaintiffs have made a clear showing that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm without injunctive relief," the decision reads. "DOGE affiliates have been granted access to systems of record that contain some of the plaintiffs' most sensitive data—Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, income and assets, citizenship status, and disability status—and their access to this trove of personal information is ongoing." "Upon consideration of the amended complaint, the TRO briefing, the limited record evidence, oral argument, and the recent decisions of other courts in similar cases, the Court finds that the plaintiffs have met their burden for the extraordinary relief they seek," the ruling reads. "The TRO is granted in part and denied in part." Doge Slashes Over $100M In Dei Funding At Education Department: 'Win For Every Student' The latest ruling against DOGE comes from the same judge who in early February blocked President Donald Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship. Boardman argued in the earlier ruling that citizenship is a "national concern that demands a uniform policy." DOGE has seen several legal victories in the face of attempts to block efforts to cut "wasteful" federal spending. U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan recently denied a request to issue a temporary restraining order preventing Musk and DOGE from accessing data systems at several federal agencies. The department was issued another win after District Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee, shot down a request from several federal labor unions to pause the mass firings of federal workers by the Trump article source: Judge blocks DOGE from accessing Education Department records
