Episode Details

The Supreme Court has given the Trump Administration the greenlight to gut the workforce of the Department of Education. The move isn’t just about reducing the government’s payroll; it’s part of a much larger attack on public education according to some education advocates. Critics of the department, which the Republican Party has attempted to shut down since it was created 45 years ago, say the federal government should leave state and local agencies to manage schools. While the agency can’t be shuttered without congressional approval, the significant job losses put into question how effective it can be and how it will oversee student loans, research, and civil rights violations among other responsibilities. We talk about what is next for the department and what it means for students.

Guests:

Jill Tucker, K-12 education reporter, San Francisco Chronicle

Noliwe Rooks, professor and chair of Africana Studies, Brown University

Michael J. Petrilli, president, Thomas B. Fordham Institute - a conservative education policy think tank; visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution

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