VEA Condemns Efforts to Dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, Warns of Devastating Impact on Virginia Schools
February 19, 2025
February 19, 2025
The Virginia Education Association (VEA) strongly opposes the latest threats from the Trump administration to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, an irresponsible move that would devastate Virginia’s public schools, strip essential funding from our students, and eliminate thousands of teacher jobs across the Commonwealth.
“Eliminating the Department of Education is an outright attack on public education, particularly for our most vulnerable students,” said Carol Bauer, VEA president. “This reckless plan would steal resources from low-income students, children with disabilities, and English learners—while also gutting critical civil rights protections that ensure all students have the opportunity to learn.”
Virginia’s K-12 Schools Face Hundreds of Millions in Lost Funding and Massive Teacher Job Losses
The U.S. Department of Education provides billions in funding that support Virginia’s students and educators. The loss of these funds would have dire consequences, leading to severe job cuts and harming students who rely on these essential programs. According to a VEA analysis, dismantling the Department of Education could result in an estimated 8,950 K-12 teacher job losses statewide due to lost federal funding.
Key programs that would be eliminated include:
The loss of federal funding would disproportionately harm Virginia’s students who face the most barriers to education—those from low-income families, students with disabilities, English learners, and children in military and rural communities.
A Nationally Coordinated Attack on Public Education
This move aligns with the Trump administration’s broader extremist anti-public education agenda, as outlined in Project 2025, a policy blueprint that explicitly calls for the elimination of the Department of Education. The administration has also pushed forward a plan to strip funding from public schools in favor of private school vouchers, which divert resources away from the 90% of students who attend public schools.
NEA President Becky Pringle has called dismantling the Department of Education “giving up on our future.” The agency is responsible for enforcing civil rights protections, funding programs that ensure equal opportunities for students, and administering student financial aid programs that help millions afford higher education. Stripping these functions would result in a chaotic, disjointed education system that leaves many students behind.
VEA Calls on Lawmakers to Protect Virginia’s Students
The Virginia Education Association urges state and federal lawmakers to reject this dangerous proposal and fight to protect public education funding.
“This isn’t just an attack on a government agency—it’s an attack on our students, our educators, and the future of public education in Virginia,” said Bauer. “We call on all elected officials to stand with educators, parents, and students to stop this assault on our schools.”
The VEA stands united with the National Education Association and public school advocates nationwide to resist these dangerous policies and protect the future of public education in Virginia.
Source: VEA analysis of USDOE data, funding categories from Education Law Center, NEA Rankings and Estimates Report, BLS Employer Costs, and methodology from Center for American Progress.
*Note: Total number of teacher jobs potentially lost from funding cut of respective federal item. Uses average FY24 NEA Virginia teacher salary divided by the BLS Employer Cost of wages and salaries for elementary, secondary, and special education teachers.
**Note: 85% of the funding from this source goes to secondary schools and community colleges, of that amount, 64% on average goes to secondary schools. Job loss estimate only represents secondary teacher roles that could be lost.
The average pay of Virginia public school teachers in 2023-24 was $65,830. That is $4,260 below the national average of $70,090.
Learn More
