Dem states sue Education Department over canceled teacher training programs

Eight Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Department of Education over cuts to teacher training grants made under the Trump administration. 

The states argue the $600 million in cuts come from policies mandated by law, and they affected programs that were meant to help with the teaching shortage. 

“These are programs that families and kids rely upon,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, told The Associated Press in an interview, “and if the president wants to get rid of them, the appropriate way to do it is through Congress.” 

The suit was also joined by California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, New York and Wisconsin.

The Education Department previously said it got rid of the contracts because the programs were promoting divisive ideologies in schools. The Hill has reached out to the department for further comment.  

The lawsuit came days after the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), the National Center for Teacher Residencies, and the Maryland Association of Colleges for Teacher Education filed a similar suit against the federal agency for terminations of contracts regarding teacher programs.  

“The termination of these grants has caused immediate harm to our teacher preparation programs, as well as to the schools, teachers, and students who benefited from them. These funds help reduce teacher shortages and enhance the development and effectiveness of educators in rural, suburban, and urban communities across the country,” said Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, president and CEO of AACTE.  

Since President Trump returned to office, hundreds of millions of dollars in Education Department contracts have been terminated, from teaching programs to research grants, causing panic among those communities.  

More cuts are on the horizon after Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent out a memo regarding staffers’ “final mission” as she and Trump work toward shutting down the department.