With Trump’s dismantling of the Education Department, here’s how state can help students
Attending UC Berkeley wouldn’t have been possible for me without state and federal funding for low-income students. Programs like Pell Grants have been essential in making higher education a reality for me and millions of others.
That’s why President Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education is concerning. It threatens the resources that allow students like me to succeed.
The administration claims states will take over many of the functions of the Department of Education. But without federal oversight and with the underfunding of many state education systems, like California’s, marginalized students will be the first to suffer.
Rather than dismantling the Department of Education, the government should invest more in education.
For instance, California can start by addressing its funding failures, particularly the commercial property tax loophole in Proposition 13 that allows corporations to avoid paying their fair share. Large businesses continue to benefit from outdated tax breaks while public schools struggle with teacher shortages and a lack of essential resources.
Closing this loophole would generate billions for education, ensuring students don’t have to rely on an unstable federal government to access the opportunities they deserve.
Real equity means prioritizing students, not corporations.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
With Trump’s dismantling of the Education Department, here’s how state can help students
By Morsal Azimi | SF Chronicle | April 6th, 2025