Project 2025 and the Future of American Education: A Dangerous Step Backward

The policies under Project 2025 are no longer just proposals—they are actively being implemented, bringing sweeping changes to federal education policies, including dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and revising child labor laws. These measures are already disproportionately harming marginalized communities—particularly in rural and low-income areas—widening existing educational disparities and limiting opportunities for millions of students.

Trump’s Active Dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education

In February 2025, Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment to eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, calling it a "big con job" and advocating for devolving educational responsibilities back to the states. Trump has issued executive orders that are currently relocating many DOE functions to other agencies, preserving only those mandated by law. Linda McMahon, co-founder of WWE and Trump’s appointee to lead the department, has already begun the process of dismantlement. McMahon has transferred oversight of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to the Department of Health and Human Services and moved the Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice. While some programs like Title I and Pell Grants still exist, they are now administered at the state level, creating the potential for inconsistencies in funding and access across the country.

Critics warn that eliminating the Department of Education is stripping away critical federal funding for low-income school districts, special education programs, and literacy initiatives—resources that many states depend on to close achievement gaps. Without federal oversight, education disparities are rapidly worsening, particularly affecting students from already marginalized communities.

Educational Disparities Across States: The Widening Gap

Education in the United States is far from equal. While Massachusetts boasts a high school graduation rate of 96.1%, California lags behind at 84.4%. A similar trend emerges in bachelor’s degree attainment, with Massachusetts leading at 50.6% while West Virginia falls to 24.1%.

These discrepancies are not random. States with higher educational attainment often have better-funded schools, stronger infrastructure, and more access to educational resources. Meanwhile, states with lower educational attainment frequently struggle with underfunded schools, teacher shortages, and limited access to advanced coursework.

With the Department of Education being dismantled, these gaps are worsening. The department provided vital oversight and funding for programs that helped states address educational inequities. Now that these federal supports are vanishing, already struggling school districts are facing severe funding shortages, making it harder for students in disadvantaged communities to receive quality education.

Racial Disparities in K-12 Education and Literacy Rates

For decades, Black and Hispanic students have faced persistent achievement gaps in education due to systemic inequities. Standardized test scores, graduation rates, and literacy rates continue to reflect these disparities:

High school graduation rates:

• White students: 89%

• Hispanic students: 81%

• Black students: 79%

Literacy rates:

• The national average literacy score is 264, but states like Mississippi and Louisiana consistently fall below this threshold due to systemic poverty and underfunded schools.

With the Department of Education no longer providing oversight, federal funding that directly supported literacy initiatives, bilingual education, and programs aimed at closing racial achievement gaps is disappearing. In many communities, this is already severely limiting students' access to basic literacy resources, setting them up for long-term economic and social disadvantages.

The Immediate Impact on Rural and Low-Income Communities

The elimination of the Department of Education is having catastrophic consequences for rural and low-income school districts, where federal funding played a vital role in:

• Supporting special education services

• Hiring school counselors and social workers

• Maintaining after-school and tutoring programs

• Reducing class sizes and increasing teacher retention

Without federal funding, rural schools—many of which already struggled to retain qualified teachers and maintain adequate resources—are now left without support. Additionally, the Department of Education’s research and data collection efforts, which helped schools identify best practices for student achievement, have been discontinued. Without these evidence-based recommendations, underfunded schools now lack the tools to implement effective educational reforms, further widening the gap between well-resourced and struggling districts.

Project 2025’s Vision for Education: A Reality We Cannot Ignore

Beyond dismantling the Department of Education, Project 2025 is actively reshaping the American education system, including:

• Penalizing schools that recognize transgender students

• Promoting a “patriotic” curriculum while defunding programs that teach critical race theory

• Restricting discussions on gender identity and racial inequity in classrooms

These measures are not about improving education; they are about ideological control. Schools should be places of learning, critical thinking, and inclusivity—not political battlegrounds where history is rewritten to fit a partisan agenda.

Preserving Comprehensive Education: A Call to Action

The history of American education reflects cycles of progress and regression. After Reconstruction, we saw gains in Black literacy and education, only to face setbacks through Jim Crow laws and school segregation. Today, we are witnessing another regression: rather than advancing toward educational equity, reactionary policies are actively undoing decades of progress.

To counter these changes, we must:

• Advocate for the immediate restoration of federal education funding to support under-resourced schools and literacy programs.

• Engage with local and state education boards to oppose discriminatory policies.

• Demand curricula that reflect diverse perspectives—ensuring that history is taught accurately and comprehensively.

• Build coalitions between educators, parents, and policymakers to fight for equitable access to quality education.

The Way Forward: Protecting Educational Equity

Educational disparities are not inevitable—they are the result of policy choices. Project 2025’s radical overhaul of education policy is actively worsening these disparities, disproportionately harming low-income, rural, and marginalized communities.

Upholding inclusive, well-funded, and equitable education is not just a political issue—it is a moral imperative. The American story is one of progress and setbacks. If we do not remain vigilant, we risk repeating the mistakes of the past, leaving future generations with fewer opportunities and a weaker foundation for success.

Education is not just about academics—it is about opportunity, justice, and the promise of a fairer future. We must fight to protect it before it is too late.