As state director for EdTrust-Louisiana — and a proud product of our Louisiana school system — I am deeply alarmed by the federal government’s recent actions to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
The executive order signed by President Donald Trump to wind down the department and shift its responsibilities to states is not just a bureaucratic reshuffle. It is a direct threat to the students, families and educators across Louisiana, particularly those already fighting to overcome systemic barriers.
Let’s be clear: This is not about trimming fat from government. It is about pulling the rug out from under our most vulnerable learners.
Every year, Louisiana receives nearly $900 million in federal education support. That funding is not abstract — it feeds children, equips classrooms, trains teachers, supports students with disabilities and serves students facing financial hardship. help level the playing field for low-income students. ensures that students with disabilities have the support and services they deserve. Pell Grants open college doors for students who might otherwise never have the chance.
Federal support isn’t a handout; it’s our lifeline. I know this firsthand, as these grants opened the doors to a postsecondary education for me, a dream that might have remained closed without them.
Cutting the Department of Education’s workforce in half and signaling a full phaseout sends a dangerous message to states like ours: You’re on your own. Our state has seen tremendous growth in academics in recent years, but still, over half of K-3 students are not reading on grade level — and many families are struggling to access basic educational resources.
This is not the time to retreat from our federal commitment. Rural school districts, in particular, rely heavily on federal funding streams to keep the lights on, the buses running and the programs staffed. Without that support, entire communities could see critical programs slashed or shuttered.
The impact doesn’t stop at K-12. Louisiana’s colleges and universities stand to lose tens of millions in research funding if proposed cuts to agencies go through. This not only stifles innovation, it puts jobs and futures at risk. Fewer research dollars mean fewer scholarships, fewer faculty positions and fewer students staying in Louisiana to learn and contribute. It is a brain drain for our state in slow motion.
The idea that every state can simply pick up the mantle and replicate the work of the Department of Education is not only unrealistic, it’s reckless.ÌýWe need collaboration across all levels of government to ensure educational equity, not a fragmentation of responsibility that will leave students in the margins. Education is a public good, and safeguarding it should be a national priority, not a partisan pawn.
As someone who has taught in the classroom, led in the boardroom and listened in living rooms across this state, I know what’s at stake. I’ve sat with families who are already juggling multiple jobs to make sure their children have what they need to succeed. I’ve heard from students who dream of being the first in their family to go to college, but are now unsure if the financial aid will be there.
We cannot build a stronger Louisiana by weakening the very institutions designed to lift us up. Now is the time for bold investment in our students, not abandonment.
In this moment of uncertainty, I urge leaders at every level — especially those in Louisiana — to stand firm in defense of public education.
Louisiana’s advocates, families and community leaders must step up and speak out. We can call on state and local lawmakers to safeguard the programs most at risk, demand transparency about how federal funding shortfalls will be addressed and ensure that student voices are heard in every policy conversation.
We must continue to show up for the kids who depend on school meals, for the students with learning differences and for every young person chasing a dream that should never be limited by a ZIP code. Their futures, and the future of our state, depend on it.