Wilmington, DE – Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) released the following statement slamming the President’s executive order to abolish the Department of Education and leave tens of thousands of Delaware’s students behind:
“As a parent of two Delaware Public school graduates and as the ranking member on the subcommittee on HELP Education and the American Family, the decision by the President yesterday is alarming. The Department of Education reaches every district and state across our nation, serving over 140,00 K-12 students in Delaware alone. This decision will be devastating, impacting everything from workforce development programs for technical education to financial aid for students who are pursuing higher education, and we know this is only the beginning. While they have said they would protect Title 1 and Pell Grants, their recklessness and unpredictability prove that tomorrow it could be gone.
“Attempting to shutter the Department sends a message to our students that their futures are not a priority. In a time when we should be preparing for the future of our workforce, this hamstrings our ability to do so. What is equally concerning is how this will deepen challenges related to workforce shortages at schools, putting more stress on schools that are already under-sourced and underfunded. Our federal government should be supporting student success and access to quality education, regardless of whether a student lives in a rural community, comes from a low-income background, attends school on a military base, or has a disability.
“This Executive Order not only demonstrates blatant disregard for students of all ages, but it is also an insult to our schools, hardworking teachers and education professionals, and the countless parents who depend on quality education to support their child, often during the most foundational years of their lives. As courts consider this massive blow to our education system, I will be doing everything I can to fight for our children and parents. Our nation deserves better, and so do our children.”