DELAWARE COUNTY (March 4, 2025) – Members of the American Federation of Teachers in communities stretching from Philadelphia to Allegheny counties took part in a national day of action to inform and activate members of the public about looming federal education cuts that would hurt Pennsylvania students. Nearly 90% of K-12 students in Pennsylvania are enrolled in public schools, many of which benefit from funding and programmatic support from the U.S. Department of Education.
In the face of illegal cuts to U.S. Department of Education programs and funding and a stated promise to dismantle the department completely, public school districts across Pennsylvania are bracing for devastating losses in federal support for low-income students, students with disabilities, and other highly vulnerable student populations.
If the Trump administration’s assault on the Department of Education is not stopped by the courts or Congress, Pennsylvania stands to lose:
- $752 million for Title I schools—which serve over 797,000 students—to fill education funding gaps and support low-income students
- $560 million for 358,000 for special education and diverse learners
- $71.6 million for career and technical education, including pathways to jobs through apprenticeship programs in traditional trades or STEM careers
- $68 billion in federal student loans, supporting more than 1.8 million Pennsylvanians seeking higher education
- $850 million in Pell grants, ensuring more than 179,000 students can pursue a college degree regardless of income
- $7.3 million to strengthen public education through mental health and learning services and teacher training programs to address a statewide staffing crisis
“Federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education currently supports more than 1.7 million students across 2,900 Pennsylvania K-12 public schools. Any disruption to the flow of federal dollars to our schools threatens to throw them into chaos. Investments and programs already budgeted and approved by school boards will face cuts or elimination, and municipalities will be forced to raise taxes and fees to ensure public schools are able to meet their legal and constitutionally required obligations to students,” said Arthur G. Steinberg, president of the American Federation of Teachers - Pennsylvania (AFTPA). “No part of the Trump-Musk education agenda is about ‘reforming’ or ‘streamlining’ government. No journalist should repeat such obvious propaganda.”
At a press conference in Darby Township School on Tuesday, AFTPA members including Margaret Rogers-Bing, president of the Southeast Delco Federation of Support Staff and school district parent, were joined by District officials, educators, students, and PA House Reps. Heather Boyd, Lisa Borowski, and Napoleon Nelson. AFTPA members in districts including Scranton, Pittsburgh, and Neshaminy also participated in the national day of action.
“We all know that the actions of the federal government are chaotic. And while the specific actions may be new and coming at a frenetic pace, the goal is not new. The goal has been and will continue to be to dismantle, defund, and destroy public education,” said Senate Education Committee Minority Chair Lindsey Williams of Allegheny County. “Let me be crystal clear: President Musk is pillaging the Department of Education to find money to make him and his tech bro billionaire friends richer. The students who will bear the brunt of this greed are our students with the most needs – our students with disabilities. As Minority Chair of the Senate Education Committee, I will continue to call out these billionaires and corporations who want to make money off kids, and I will continue to work to ensure a high-quality, inclusive public education for all students.”
"Students and teachers aren’t the only thing under attack today. The Supreme Court once said that public schools are our 'most vital civic institution for the preservation of a democratic system of government,' and the primary way we transmit 'the values on which our society rests. The promise of public education is as important to all of us as it is dangerous to demagogues," said Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, senior attorney at Public Interest Law Center, which secured an historic victory for Pennsylvania public school students in a 2023 state funding lawsuit. "This is more than an attack on children or teachers. It is a foundational attack on a just, pluralistic democracy, where everyone has a chance and everyone has a voice."
For more information about the impacts of dismantling the Department of Education, visit www.aft.org/ProtectOurKids.