On June 3, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee about President Trump’s proposed education budget and program priorities.
Secretary McMahon’s written opening statement and budget summary are here. Her written and oral comments emphasized increasing education options, particularly charter schools, and transferring funds and decision-making to states.
Several Senators expressed concerns about cuts to the TRIO program. These are other highlights we noted in watching her testimony:
- 30:00 – Brief discussion about the Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
- 1:01 – Senator Merkley asks about the continuation of the National Center for Systemic Improvement
- 1:06 – Senator Mullen shares perspectives on Special Education
- 1:10 – Senator Murray asks about reductions in OCR staff
- 1:16 – Senator Hyde-Smith shares the importance of career and technical grants, especially for states like Mississippi. She also inquires about the past pattern of states like Mississippi consistently applying for Education Innovation and Research grants but not getting any, while New York, California and Michigan consistently receive them.
- 1:21 – Senator Murphy shares concern about school mental health grants ending
We have not reviewed the budget in depth but will begin looking more closely at the funding and plans for special education. We also plan to look more closely at the funding and plans for the OCR since it is charged with protecting the rights of students with disabilities, and we routinely assist families with filing disability-related OCR complaints. We will share what we learn with you.
Please note that the Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers program is eliminated in this budget. Many of you are familiar with Mississippi’s PTI, housed within the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities. Block grants would allocate some of the funding consolidated from eliminated programs to the states. States would then decide how to use the funds.
On June 4, Secretary McMahone appeared before the about the department’s priorities and budget:
We did not have time to review her testimony in the House committee before sharing this information.
