Pritzker, Durbin rip Trump's move to dismantle Education Department: 'What a fool'

ILLINOIS - Illinois lawmakers are pushing back after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to begin dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.

Illinois Lawmakers React 

What they're saying:

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) blasted Trump's move as "reckless."

"President Trump’s dangerous demagoguery knows no bounds. Shredding the Department of Education, a federal agency dedicated to the success of the next generation, is depraved and deeply damaging to the future of this country.

"Trump’s formula for American greatness: Eliminate federal aid to schools and cut medical research. What a fool," Durbin said.

Gov. JB Pritzker warned of serious consequences for Illinois students.

"President Trump has no plan to improve literacy, math scores, or get more teachers on the job. When Donald Trump attacks education, he is failing America because the success of our students is what will make our economy, future, and nation stronger.

"Eliminating the Department of Education will likely have harsh and immediate impacts on Illinois’ students. It will harm students and their families in rural communities who rely on federal funding to keep their schools open. It will remove supports students with disabilities and special needs rely upon. And low-income students who depend on Pell Grants to earn their college degrees will be forced to drop out.

"Making preschool more available, college degrees more affordable, and college readiness for K-12 students more attainable has been a primary focus of my administration. Our schools need more support not less, and we’ve made progress in Illinois: the recently released Nation’s Report Card shows that despite the setbacks of the pandemic, our state’s eighth graders have the second-highest reading scores fifth highest math scores in the United States. And Illinois’ high school graduation rate is the highest in 14 years.

"Education is foundational to the success of our people, our state and the future of America. Our schools serve as centers of community, feed our children, and prepare them for careers that fuel our economy. We must empower our teachers and students to succeed – no matter their background and across every rural, suburban, and urban area in Illinois.

"All the best research shows that focusing dollars on our children is one of the most fiscally responsible investments we can make: it reduces future expenditures and offers one of the highest returns on investment. It yields a higher high school graduation rate, a higher college attendance rate, greater lifetime earnings, lower healthcare costs, lower crime rates, and an overall reduction in the need for human services spending. Nowhere is this more evident than with the students who have historically been left out and left behind. Investing in our children’s education pays off—and it’s the right thing to do."

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul criticized Trump's executive order, calling it "ludicrous." 

"President Trump’s executive order is no more legal than his other actions intended to dismantle the Department of Education. Decimating the department’s workforce, then signing today’s executive order while simultaneously directing the continuation of critical programs and services is ludicrous.

"States, including Illinois, are already feeling the impact of the Trump administration’s actions. On March 11, all staff in a Chicago branch of the department’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) were laid off, completely closing the office. For decades, the OCR has protected American students’ civil rights – from ensuring that students with disabilities have equal access to classrooms, to protecting students from discrimination and harassment. Students who could previously rely on the OCR to address potential violations of their civil rights must now go to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), which is already experiencing a higher call volume for such disputes. Yet ISBE has neither the funding nor the equipment to resolve them.

"Furthermore, millions of students count on the Department of Education to promptly process requests for student aid as they finalize their postsecondary plans. Enrollment deadlines for Illinois’ public community colleges and universities approach in a few short weeks, and the turmoil caused by the administration’s actions jeopardizes the futures of tens of thousands of Illinois students who depend upon the prompt processing of FAFSAs to finalize their plans.

"The Trump administration’s actions are unlawful, unconstitutional and most negatively impact students who have the most need for the Department of Education’s programs and services. I am firmly committed to continuing to fight for all students, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or ability, to have access to quality educations and the opportunity it affords."

What's at Stake For Illinois?:

According to Durbin, Illinois receives billions in federal education funding each year.

Cuts by the Trump administration would impact:

— Annual K-12 funding to Illinois to meet the needs of 4,000 K-12 schools and over two million K-12 students, including: 

• $652 million in annual funding for 295,000 students with disabilities – reflecting 15 percent of Illinois’s student population.
• $778 million in annual funding for schools enrolling 1.3 million students from low-income backgrounds – reflecting 65 percent of Illinois’s student population.
• $30 million in annual funding for about 240,000 English learners – reflecting 12 percent of Illinois’s student population.
• $57 million in annual funding to support safe and healthy students and provide a well-rounded education.
• $54 million in annual funding to support academic enrichment activities such as before and after school programs for students.
• $8 million in annual funding for students enrolled in rural schools.
• $36 million in annual funding to support children living on military bases or Native American reservations.

— Funding for Dept. of Education-administered workforce development programs, including: 

• $77 million in annual funding for career and technical education and workforce development in Illinois.
• $152 million in annual funding to expand employment and services for individuals with disabilities in Illinois.

Dig deeper:

Trump framed the move as fulfilling a campaign promise during a press conference at the White House on Thursday.

"I will sign an executive order to begin eliminating the federal Department of Education once and for all," Trump said at the event, celebrating the executive order. "And it sounds strange, doesn't it? Department of education. We're going to eliminate it. And everybody knows it's right. And the Democrats know it's right. And I hope they're going to be voting for it, because ultimately it may come before them. But, everybody knows it's right. And we have to get our children educated. We're we're not doing well with the world of education in this country. And we haven't for a long time. "

However, reports indicate Trump lacks the authority to shut down the department entirely.

Federal student loans and Pell Grants will remain, but it’s unclear which functions will be reassigned or cut altogether.

RELATED: Trump signs order to 'begin eliminating' Department of Education

EducationDonald J. TrumpDick DurbinJ.B. PritzkerIllinois PoliticsNews