As educators, you will be familiar with Trump’s desire to shut down the U.S. Department of Education entirely. Among many other non-factual, fear-based, and political arguments, he and his supporters claim that the Department has been infiltrated by left-wing “radicals,” that educational institutions should, ironically, be free from “political meddling,” that they are homes of “left-wing indoctrination” and “transgender madness.”
On the one hand, Trump wants to “end education coming out of Washington, D.C.” Instead, he wants states and parents to make educational decisions. On the other hand, he also proposes blanket bans on “polarizing issues,” promises funding to institutions that promote “patriotic” education while defunding those that do not fall in line. Doing so would, of course, involving Washington, D.C., in educational decisions, but this extreme double standard probably does not surprise many educators.
Could he really take the above steps and perhaps more? The short answer is yes. Civil rights laws enabled the federal government to withhold funds from schools that did not, at the time, promote racial and ethnic equality, among more. Now, those same laws can be turned on the head to withhold funding for schools that seek to, for example, teach students about diversity, equity, and inclusion, critical race theory, and let transgender women play in women’s sports.
Even worse: courts have already paused most of Biden’s signature education initiatives amid legal challenges in relation to student loan cancellation, more generous loan repayment plans, and more.
For professors, lecturers, teachers and other educators, this spells bad news not only in relation to what you can and should, in 2025 and beyond, teach. It could mean that you will lose tenure or be unable to earn it if you do not follow the Trump directives. In fact, Trump wants to create a new credentialing body to certify teachers who “embrace patriotic values,” considering progressivism a “challenge to American principles.”
This is indeed a lot to take in no matter what political spectrum one may come from. To protect your legal status as a professor, lecturer, or other type of instructor in this rapidly developing, highly politicized environment, contact Myanna Dellinger or another experienced tenure professor as soon as possible. Tenure-, contract-, and employment-related law still protects your rights and will do so for some time still, but you should make sure you take steps best position you to win any legal challenge that you may have to meet.
