Attorney General Kwame Raoul has released a statement in reaction to the Trump administration's latest steps to fragment the Department of Education. According to the Illinois Attorney General's office, interagency agreements have been inked that transition pivotal Department of Education offices to other cabinet departments—a move that Raoul suggests shows "a callous disregard for the welfare of students" across the nation. These offices are tasked with key educational roles, yet are now slated to merge with departments focused on labor, state affairs, health and human services, and the interior.
In a sharp critique, Raoul outlined the various measures Illinois has taken in defiance of the federal administration's agenda. "President Trump and his administration continue to demonstrate a callous disregard for the welfare of students across the United States," Raoul said, before detailing the ongoing litigation against the efforts to dismantle the Education Department. An office dedicated to protecting students from discrimination and harassment has been shuttered in Chicago, and efforts to remove safeguards preventing discrimination in special education and discipline have been opposed by Raoul's office.
Funded initiatives for expanding K-12 mental health programs have been on the chopping block, but the Illinois Attorney General's office managed to halt these cuts temporarily. Furthermore, reductions to grant funding essential for aiding low-income and minority students in higher education access have not gone unchallenged. Raoul's stance is clear as his office stands backing the educators and students he feels are directly impacted by these federal changes. For Raoul, it is the teachers who are the keys to student success, a principle that sparked a lawsuit over the cancellation of teacher preparation grants relied upon to tackle teacher shortages.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers has joined the legal confrontations spearheaded by the Attorney General in a bid to defend educational opportunities within the state. Together, they contest the Trump administration's moves that could potentially derail the progress of thousands of students in Illinois. "My office will not be deterred in our fight for the thousands of Illinois students and educators who are betrayed by a Department of Education that is dismantling itself and abandoning its mission," Raoul affirmed, as he pledges to maintain the pressure against federal decisions affecting education.
