For Immediate Release: March 21, 2025
Contact: Tyler Bushnell, tyler.bushnell@nextgenpolicy.org

Statement from NextGen Policy’s Legislative Director & Policy Advisor, Samantha Seng:

“Yesterday, a reckless decision was made regarding the academic future of millions of America’s kids, as President Trump signed an executive order aiming to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education,” said Samantha Seng, Legislative Director & Policy Advisor for NextGen Policy. “As an organization committed to improving educational opportunities for all California students, NextGen Policy must express our deep concerns and fundamental disagreement with an Administration that is intent on stripping away critical funding and civil rights protections for our nation’s most vulnerable students. The far-reaching consequences of this executive order threatens the very promise of a quality education in every geographic region of our country and it strikes at the heart of the American dream.

By proposing to eliminate the Department of Education, this Administration is also creating a great deal of confusion and a litany of unnecessary hurdles for college bound students trying to access critical financial aid such as Pell Grants. Ultimately, its consequences will endanger college enrollment and completion rates as well as make higher education even more inaccessible for millions of students, potentially trapping them in a sea of student loan debt. This executive order injects a degree of chaos and instability into the educational system that will particularly impact low-income and historically marginalized students from both urban and rural communities in every state. To dismantle the very institution in government responsible for safeguarding educational opportunities effectively weakens the nation’s future workforce and economy. We must stand together to protect our education system and ensure every student in every corner of our nation has access to the resources and support they need to succeed academically.”

Visit NextGen Policy’s website to learn more about our education work, and stay tuned for more information on how we’re going to push back against this unquestionably disastrous move.

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The mission of NextGen Policy is to fight for progressive policy change to address environmental, social, racial, gender, and economic inequities in California through justice-centered legislative advocacy, grassroots partnerships, and democratic civic engagement.