Teacher’s union leader and former candidate weigh in on plan to shut down U.S. Department of Education

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order on Thursday calling for the shutdown of the U.S. Department of Education.

Trump made the promise during his campaign trail, saying the department that’s been around for 45 years is wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. Trump says he wants states to have control of schools.

Back in November, shortly after Trump’s election victory, News10NBC spoke with Rochester Teachers Association union president Adam Urbanski for his take on the plans to do away with the department

“It would be heartless. It would be cruel and we would strongly oppose it,” Urbanski said.

Ubranski said dismantling the department would have a negative impact on students, especially kids in low-income backgrounds and with learning disabilities. Much of the money that comes to education programs helps them.

He wants to maintain federal protections for all students. The purpose of establishing the Department of Education during President Jimmy Carter’s tenure was to supplement education for students most in need. The department aims to bring about gender equity, racial equity, and to help children with learning disabilities.

Kimberly DeRosa, the former Republican candidate for the New York State Assembly’s 135th District, said back in November that she is looking forward to the department being nixed.

“I think it will be a positive thing for our country because all it will mean is that we as Americans will save federal dollars. Our taxpayer dollars,” DeRosa said.

Trump’s plan also aims to restrict what kind of lessons can be taught in school. And while the president-elect pushed for this during his first term in office without success, DeRosa believes it will come to fruition this time.

“Parents can have more authority. I’m looking forward to school choice as a federal opportunity, as well so that parents can have more opportunity as well over the education the children receive,” DeRosa said.

The Department of Education provides funding for schools with a high population of low-income students and programs that support special education services.

For it to be abolished, a motion must pass through the House and the Senate. Republicans will now control the Senate, and as votes continue to be tallied, the House of Representatives is still up for grabs.

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