Latest news with #TQP
Miami Herald
02-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Miami-Dade schools to lose millions after federal grant cancellations
The U.S. Department of Education has halted funding to several longstanding grant programs that serve low-income and vulnerable students, a move that could cost Miami-Dade County Public Schools more than $45 million in the coming school year. The funding, which was approved by Congress in March and expected to be distributed starting July 1, would have supported migrant education, teacher development, English-language instruction, and other services for high-need populations. 'As the significant bulk of this funding is tied to students, including our most fragile student populations, we pray that they do not become permanent—which could result in catastrophic learning and life consequences for children and families across Miami-Dade,' said Steve Gallon, vice chair of the Miami-Dade school board. Nationwide, the cuts affect at least 18 grant programs totaling more than $8 billion, according to the Department of Education's 2025 budget summary. Among the programs cut: $375 million for migrant education$2.2 billion for professional development$890 million for English-learner services$1.3 billion for academic enrichment$1.4 billion for before- and after-school programs Florida alone stands to lose about $396 million, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The grant programs have been replaced by a new initiative, the K-12 Simplified Funding Program, which will distribute $2 billion in flexible block grants to states. The Dept. of Education's budget summary says the change gives states 'flexibility to deploy these resources in a manner consistent with the needs of their communities.' But education advocates warn that because the money is not targeted, students with the greatest needs may not receive support. This is not the only federal funding loss affecting Miami-Dade. In February, the Department of Education also terminated a $9.26 million grant awarded to Miami-Dade schools under the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) program. The five-year grant was meant to support a project called Edu-PARTNERS, aimed at recruiting and retaining teachers in high-need schools. The program included a partnership with Miami Dade College and mentorship opportunities for new educators. According to the grant application, Edu-PARTNERS aimed to increase teacher diversity and promote greater equity in student access to quality instruction. Miami-Dade was one of more than 30 grantees selected in the 2024 competition. But on Feb. 12, the department issued a formal termination notice, ending the grant immediately. No public explanation was given for Miami-Dade's termination. A Department of Education employee reached by phone said they had no information on individual grant cancellations but noted the TQP program has existed since 2008 and has historically funded successful partnerships between school districts and educator training institutions. Madeline Pumariega, president of Miami Dade College, said the institution remains committed to its mission. 'Despite the grant cancellation, we continue to expand our teacher preparation and education programs,' she said, citing the school's teacher academy and apprenticeship offerings. The cancellation has alarmed local and national education leaders. Tony White, president of the United Teachers of Dade, said in a statement that 'canceling any program that helps with our county's teacher shortage is harmful to the students of this district.' The TQP program, authorized under the Higher Education Act, is the only federal initiative specifically focused on building sustainable educator pipelines in under-served communities. Its sudden cancellation is part of a broader shift by the Trump administration, which says many of the defunded programs no longer align with its goals. According to the department's budget summary, the elimination of these programs is expected to save taxpayers $2.13 billion in fiscal year 2026. For Miami-Dade students, the long-term cost remains unclear. This story will be updated.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
University of St. Thomas grants reinstated after being cut by Trump administration
The University of St. Thomas says two of its federal grants reinstated after initially being canceled by the Trump administration amid its wide-ranging cuts on "DEI" initiatives. A spokesperson with the university said lawsuits were filed by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the National Center for Teacher Residencies to reinstate the grants, with a U.S. District Court issuing an order to reinstate the teacher preparation grants on March 17. Amy Smith, the dean of St. Thomas' School of Education, had filed an affidavit in the case, the spokesperson added. The funding in question include a $6.8 million Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant and a $2.8 million Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant, both totaling $9.6 million in federal $6.8 million grant cancelation would have affected 185 St. Thomas students who were studying to become special education and elementary teachers and the TQP grant would've impacted 20 students. "In Minnesota, these grants come at a critical time as institutions such as St. Thomas work to address the shortage of teachers in the state's school districts. We will continue working to help St. Thomas students who were impacted by February's grant terminations continue their journeys to becoming licensed teachers and benefit students from across Minnesota," the university said in a statement. The cuts were made as part of the Trump administration's war on "DEI" initiatives since President Donald Trump has returned to office. The administration has been accused of illegality, defying court orders by continuing to freeze or pull funding that has previously been appropriated by Congress. At the time the $6.8 million grant was canceled, the university said that the grant application could easily be altered to meet the Trump Administration's requirements because diversity isn't the main goal of the program. The 2023 grant was "to help address teacher shortages through scholarships and recruiting and preparing special education and elementary school teachers" in the state. A spokesperson with the University of Minnesota has also confirmed that its Teacher Quality Partnership grant valued around $2.4 million has also been reinstated after the federal government cut it earlier this year.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration asks SCOTUS to approve DEI-related education cuts
The Trump administration has filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court seeking approval to slash hundreds of millions of dollars in grants from the Education Department as part of its efforts to crack down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the department. The Justice Department is asking the court to lift a nationwide injunction which is preventing it from terminating the grants under two federal programs. Earlier this month, Boston-based U.S. District Judge Myong Joun ordered the Trump administration to restore the grants – via a temporary restraining order -- which are disseminated via the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) and Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) programs. Department Of Education Significantly Dismantled In New Trump Executive Order Days later the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to pause Joun's order, leading to today's filing. Joun was appointed by former President Joe Biden. Eight states, including California, accused the Linda McMahon-led department of illegally terminating the grants that Congress had established as a solution to critical teacher shortages, especially in rural and underserved communities. The grants provide more than $600 million in grants for teacher preparation programs, often in subject areas such as math, science and special education, the states have argued. Read On The Fox News App The Trump administration blasted the injunction in its filing and argued that federal courts were exceeding their jurisdiction. "This case exemplifies a flood of recent suits that raise the question: Does a single district-court judge who likely lacks jurisdiction have the unchecked power to compel the Government of the United States to pay out (and probably lose forever) millions in taxpayer dollars?" acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris wrote. "Unless and until this court addresses that question, federal district courts will continue exceeding their jurisdiction by ordering the executive branch to restore lawfully terminated grants across the government, keep paying for programs that the executive branch views as inconsistent with the interests of the United States, and send out the door taxpayer money that may never be clawed back." Trump Still Needs Congress' Help With Plan To Abolish Education Department The filing argues that the case presents an "ideal candidate" for the Supreme Court to impose restraint on federal courts and the Justice Department argues that its case will likely succeed on the merits. "This court should put a swift end to federal district courts' unconstitutional reign as self-appointed managers of executive branch funding and grant-disbursement decisions," Harris wrote. The appeal will go to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson based on jurisdiction and she will likely ask her colleagues to weigh in. A briefing schedule will be set and an order on temporary enforcement will follow. The Supreme Court is requesting a response by the opposing parties by Friday at 4 p.m. As well as the state of California, the opposing parties are Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, New York and Wisconsin. The Education Department previously said the programs teach "divisive ideologies" such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the "instruction on white privilege and white supremacy." The Republican president signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the Education Department, and his administration has started overhauling much of its work, including cutting dozens of contracts it dismissed as "woke" and wasteful. A wave of lawsuits has slowed down the Trump administration's agenda with the Justice Department filing four other emergency appeals of court rulings, including in relation to birthright citizenship and an appeal to halt an order requiring the rehiring of thousands of federal workers. The justices previously rejected a bid to freeze nearly $2 billion in foreign aid and did not immediately allow Trump's firing to proceed of the head of a federal watchdog agency. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: Trump administration asks SCOTUS to approve DEI-related education cuts
Fox News
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump administration asks SCOTUS to approve DEI-related education cuts
The Trump administration has filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court seeking approval to slash hundreds of millions of dollars in grants from the Education Department as part of its efforts to crack down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the department. The Justice Department is asking the court to lift a nationwide injunction which is preventing it from terminating the grants under two federal programs. Earlier this month, Boston-based U.S. District Judge Myong Joun ordered the Trump administration to restore the grants – via a temporary restraining order -- which are disseminated via the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) and Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) programs. Days later the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to pause Joun's order, leading to today's filing. Eight states, including California, accused the Linda McMahon-led department of illegally the grants that Congress had established as a solution to critical teacher shortages, especially in rural and underserved communities. The grants provide more than $600 million in grants for teacher preparation programs, often in subject areas such as math, science and special education, the states have argued. The Trump administration blasted the injunction in its filing and argued that federal courts were exceeding their jurisdiction. "This case exemplifies a flood of recent suits that raise the question: Does a single district-court judge who likely lacks jurisdiction have the unchecked power to compel the Government of the United States to pay out (and probably lose forever) millions in taxpayer dollars?" acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris wrote. "Unless and until this court addresses that question, federal district courts will continue exceeding their jurisdiction by ordering the executive branch to restore lawfully terminated grants across the government, keep paying for programs that the executive branch views as inconsistent with the interests of the United States, and send out the door taxpayer money that may never be clawed back." The filing argues that the case presents an "ideal candidate" for the Supreme Court to impose restraint on federal courts. "This court should put a swift end to federal district courts' unconstitutional reign as self-appointed managers of executive branch funding and grant-disbursement decisions." The appeal will go to Justice Jackson based on jurisdiction, and she will likely ask her colleagues to weigh in. A briefing schedule will be set and an order on temporary enforcement will follow. The Supreme Court is requesting a response by the opposing parties by Friday at 4 p.m. As well as the state of California, the opposing parties are Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, New York and Wisconsin. The Education Department previously said the programs teach "divisive ideologies" such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the "instruction on white privilege and white supremacy." The Republican president signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the Education Department, and his administration has started overhauling much of its work, including cutting dozens of contracts it dismissed as "woke" and wasteful. A wave of lawsuits has slowed down the Trump administration's agenda with the Justice Department filing four other emergency appeals of court rulings, including in relation to birthright citizenship and an appeal to halt an order requiring the rehiring of thousands of federal workers. The justices previously rejected a bid to freeze nearly $2 billion in foreign aid and did not immediately allow Trump's firing to proceed of the head of a federal watchdog agency.
Axios
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Trump administration asks SCOTUS to allow teaching grant cuts
The Trump administration on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to pause a lower court's order to reinstate millions in federal education grants that were terminated on the basis of cuts to diversity, equity and inclusion-driven funding. Why it matters: The solicitor general's appeal challenged the notion that district judges have jurisdiction over some executive branch actions — as judges across the country are flooded with lawsuits against President Trump' s policies. "This case exemplifies a flood of recent suits that raise the question: 'Does a single district-court judge who likely lacks jurisdiction have the unchecked power to compel the Government of the United States to pay out (and probably lose forever)' millions in taxpayer dollars?" Sarah M. Harris, acting solicitor general, wrote in the appeal. Zoom in: The Department of Education terminated 104 grants as "contrary to law or the Department's policy objectives." Five grants remained in place. The grants reviewed were all Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP), which supported high-quality teacher preparation and professional development, or Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grants, meant to enhance educators' skills. Seven Department of Education personnel reviewed grant applications and terms, finding "objectionable DEI material in many of them," Harris, wrote. The department found this funding at odds with the administration's new rules. Driving the news: A district court judge on March 10 ordered the government to immediately reinstate millions of dollars in federal grants that it terminated after eight states sued over the canceled funding. What they're saying: The Trump administration's appeal to the Supreme Court argues that the district court lacked jurisdiction over the grants. "Federal courts generally lack jurisdiction to order the federal government pay money unless Congress 'unequivocally' waives the government's sovereign immunity," Harris wrote. "This court should put a swift end to federal district courts' unconstitutional reign as self-appointed managers of executive branch funding and grant-disbursement decisions," Harris wrote.
