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HARRISBURG, PA (Nov. 19, 2025) — The Trump administration announced plans this week to further dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, reassigning responsibilities for programs and funding critical to America’s K-12 students to other federal agencies.

The move includes shifting the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to the U.S. Department of Labor. The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education oversees Title I funding for economically disadvantaged students in rural, urban, and suburban school districts as well as programs that support teacher training, English learners, charter schools, arts education, civics, and more.

PSEA President Aaron Chapin issued the following statement:

“The Department of Education was created nearly 50 years ago based on the idea that public education is a national priority, that students in every state and neighborhood should have opportunities to succeed, and that educators and support staff deserve our respect.

“The Trump administration’s actions this week show us that this administration neither prioritizes the public education of nearly 50 million American students nor respects the life-changing role of educators and support professionals.

“Ensuring a brighter future for our children should be a top priority for any administration. Instead, this administration is hacking away at the very protections and services our students need and our educators rely upon to do their jobs.

“Students and their families will pay dearly if the Department of Education is dismantled and scattered across other agencies that don’t have educational expertise.

“The move is also deeply unpopular among Pennsylvanians. Sixty-seven percent of Pennsylvania voters oppose dismantling the Department of Education, compared to a mere 24% who support dismantling it, according to a Susquehanna Polling & Research survey conducted for PSEA in September.

“Pennsylvania students deserve our support now more than ever. We need a president who will step up and support their access to a high-quality education and opportunities at success, not one who wants to starve our schools of resources and rob students of their futures.”

Chapin is a Stroudsburg Area middle school teacher and president of PSEA. An affiliate of the National Education Association, PSEA represents about 177,000 active and retired educators and school employees, aspiring educators, higher education staff, and health care workers in Pennsylvania.