Will U.S. Public Schools Survive Trump?
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It's Tuesday, February 18th. I'm Jane Koston. This is What Today, the show that is not upset about the NBA All-Star Game because it did not watch the NBA All-Star Game. Easy solution. On today's show, Mexico kindly urges Google to change the name of the Gulf of America back to Gulf of Mexico. And President Donald Trump grants Robert F. Kennedy Jr. the authority to look into the use of antidepressants and weight loss drugs by children.

But let's start with the Department of Education, which, as of this very moment, still exists. But maybe not for long. It's been a longstanding goal for many conservatives to destroy the Department of Education, which was established in 1980.

Under President Donald Trump, and with the help of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, and soon-to-be-confirmed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, they're getting their shot. In fact, here's President Trump telling reporters on February 4th that the plan is for McMahon to be unemployed soon. I told Linda, Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job. I want her to put herself out of a job.

Now, technically, Trump can't just get rid of the Education Department without Congress. But as we've seen over the last few weeks, he can sure weaken it with the cudgel of Doge. Last week, ProPublica reported that the Trump administration canceled nearly a billion dollars in contracts stemming from the Education Department, contracts largely focused on research and statistics on school safety and performance.

McMahon described during her confirmation hearings exactly how the Department of Education could be dissolved. What about the needs of students with disabilities?

Here's what she told New Hampshire Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan. I think it could very well go back to HHS, where it started. All right, so I just want to be clear, you're going to put special education in the hands of Burdett Kennedy Jr. This is the same RFK Jr., who during a June 2024 appearance on the Earn Your Leisure podcast, advocated for Black kids to be sent to wellness camps. My uncle started the Peace Corps, he started the space program, my space program, my Peace Corps program.

is going to be wellness farms, rehabilitation facilities that are gonna start in rural areas all over the country where people, any American can go for free, any of them who is dependent on drugs, either legal drugs or illegal drugs, psychiatric drugs, which every black kid is now just standard put on Adderall, SSRIs, benzos, which are known to induce violence.

And and those kids are going to have a chance to go somewhere and get reparented to live in a community where there'll be no cell phones, no screens. You'll actually have to talk to people. One reparenting. And two, one has sending black people to work on farms ever gone wrong.

Most American kids go to public schools, and contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of what happens at public schools, from curriculum to what sports get played to who gets to decide what books are in the library, are actually determined at the local level. But for kids with disabilities, rural schools, and children in low-income areas, the Department of Education can offer a lifeline of support and, more importantly, funding. And now that's all up in the air.

So to talk more about the Department of Education and what gutting it could mean for American kids, I spoke to Randy Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. Randy, welcome back to What A Day. It's great to be with you. So I think if you press the average American to explain what the Department of Education does, they would be hard-pressed to say more than school stuff. So can you explain what the Department of Education is actually responsible for?

So most of education in America is done by the states and by local school boards. So basically, if you have a curriculum issue or if there's an issue at a school, there's a disciplinary issue. You don't have enough sports. You don't have enough music.

That's the local school board. The Federal Department of Education doesn't run schools. What it does is it tries to level up opportunity. Those were the words that were used in the statute years and years ago. That means that things like helping kids who are poor, we get a lot of money. It's called Title I from the Federal Department of Education.

For kids with disabilities, we had a lot of money for those kids. That's leveling up to make sure that those kids are really treated fairly. English language learners, kids in rural areas,

This was a big issue. How do we make sure you connect the internet? How do you make sure you get computers? How do you make sure you get some funding for different programs like STEM, you know, science, technology, engineering, mathematics? That's from the Department of Education. Pell Grants for kids who are going first generation, going to college, that's from the Department of Education. So what you see here is over the course of years,

where there was a hole, where there was a problem, where there was not enough money. That's where Congress came in and said, let's do something extra for these kids. And the Department of Education is the one who does that. What are you hearing right now from teachers on the ground with everything going on? They are pissed. And, you know, whether they voted for

Kamala Harris or for Donald Trump. And look, about 20% of my members voted for Donald Trump. They're like, wait a second. This is not what they were supposed to do. They were supposed to reduce the price of eggs, not make our jobs harder. We have to meet the needs of kids. Whoever those kids are, that's what I'm hearing all across the country.

Now, for as long as I've been alive, I feel like Republicans have been chomping at the bit to dismantle the Department of Education. And as they say, return education to the states. What would that actually look like in practice? The thing that would change is that states would have less money for kids.

And more importantly than states having less money for kids, local districts would have less money for kids. So where would that reading specialist come from McDowell County, West Virginia, rural West Virginia? Where would the money for resources for special needs kids come?

So would states or localities raise taxes to get that 10% of money that goes to kids right now? Or would kids get shortchanged again? So that's really the issue here. Now, there's two things that Republicans say traditionally. Number one is they want to get rid of the federal role in education.

Why? Because the federal role in education really goes for the kids who have been left behind, who have been shortchanged. But number two, because a lot of this funding goes directly to kids' services. And what I'm hearing Republicans want is they want this huge voucher bill where they divert this money to private schools,

where basically it's a tax cut for wealthy families. Let's talk specifically about special ed students who might be on individual education plans. What could these cuts mean for them? So for your listeners, if you have a kid who has special needs, the law, the federal law, requires that we take care of that kid

child and that family. And that's what an individual education plan is now.

Is it perfect? No. But the way in which you know what a kid should be getting in school is through this individual education program. So a tutor, a paraprofessional, somebody who's helping a kid with physical therapy or occupational therapy, all of this is packaged into what's called an individual education program, counseling. So a

If you don't have the funding from the federal law, who's going to make up for it? The Education Department also recently sent out a letter threatening to cut federal funding for any academic institutions that consider race in a student's life. The letter says, federal law, quote,

prohibits covered entities from using race and decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student academic and campus life. How are schools interpreting this letter? Because this seems so broad. Well, what's happening is that this letter basically erases the last sentence

60 to 70 years of progress in America. What it essentially says is that the things that we have done to try to create opportunity for all, we shouldn't be doing anymore. So take programs like weeding,

We have research that shows that different types of families have fewer books at home. And a lot of that has to do with poverty. So are we basically going to say, throw out those reading programs? We're trying to get more people of color into science and technology. We're going to throw that out? We're trying to make sure that we recruit people

And teachers, so that our teaching force looks like our community. We're going to throw that out? That's what this means. What options does the teachers union have to fight some of these actions? I mean, yeah, there are the courts, but what else can you do to push back against the administration right now? Well, there's the courts and there's the court of public opinion.

There's Congress and there's, you know, going communicating with our parents, with our communities. There's lots of ways that we can fight back. And first is what we do best, which is to educate.

So that's why on March 4th, for example, we're having events throughout the country that are local events in schools, teach-ins, meetings after school with parents, with teachers, with students to talk about how important this funding is and to talk about what the Department of Education really does.

But I think I'm worried that the damage will be done by the time that there is enough public anger or that the courts act on your side, because I think that's what the administration is banking on, that they can just act fast and break stuff. That is what they're banking on. But people, but you know, March 4th is a couple of weeks from now. This has to be done through Congress. Even Linda McMahon admitted that. And we know that.

that communities in America are resilient. We build relationships with school teachers. We help kids be resilient. We fight for kids' futures. And that's what we have to do throughout America right now. Randy, thank you so much for taking the time to join me today. Thank you. That was my conversation with Randy Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers.

We'll get to more of the news in a moment. But if you like the show, make sure to subscribe, leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, watch us on YouTube, and share with your friends. More to come after some ads. What Today is brought to you by Bookshop.org. Whether you're searching for an incisive history that helps you make sense of this moment, a novel that sweeps you away from this moment, or the perfect gift for a loved one, Bookshop.org has you covered.

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Atlantic Union Bank. Any way you bank. Tax Act can think of a million things more fun than filing taxes. Tax Act is going to name some now. Sitting in traffic. Folding a fitted bed sheet. Listening to your co-worker talk about his fantasy team. Digging a hole.

digging an even larger hole next to that original hole. Unfortunately, TaxAct's filing software can't make taxes fun. But TaxAct can help you get them done. TaxAct. Let's get them over with. Here's what else we're following today. Headlines.

Thousands of people nationwide took to the streets on President's Day to protest the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Hundreds more demonstrations are planned this week at congressional offices and Tesla dealerships to protest Musk's attacks on federal agencies like the Education Department,

and the U.S. Agency for International Aid. But Musk and the Doge Bros are pushing on. Their next target seems to be the Internal Revenue Service. Citing anonymous reports, multiple news outlets have reported that Doge will soon be granted access to sensitive taxpayer data. The IRS data systems include everything from your tax returns to your banking information. I joked on the show earlier this month that I was worried about Elon Musk getting my social security number.

And now he actually could, because the IRS has that information. Guys, I was kidding. The Social Security Administration's acting commissioner reportedly resigned from her post over the weekend, citing Musk's attempts to access the agency's data.

A spokesman for the White House said Monday, quote, waste, fraud and abuse have been deeply entrenched in our broken system for far too long. It takes direct access to the system to identify and fix it. The IRS also plans to cut thousands of jobs just as we head into tax season. Those layoffs could come as soon as this week.

The Trump administration has ordered federal health officials to investigate the, quote, prevalence of and threat of antidepressants and weight loss drugs to children. Last week, President Trump signed an executive order to establish a Make America Healthy Again commission.

Part of its job will be to look into a common class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, as well as other medications used to treat depression, anxiety, and mood disorders in young people. SSRI prescriptions for children and teens have increased in recent years as rates of U.S. students diagnosed with mood disorders rise. The commission was also ordered to look into the use of weight loss drugs like Ozempic in children.

Doubting the safety and efficacy of these treatments is pretty on brand for a new Secretary of Health and Human Services, RFK Jr. He's made a lot of false claims about a lot of government-approved drugs, including that antidepressants are just as addictive as heroin, and that people who take antidepressants are more likely to commit school shootings. On the weight loss front, Kennedy has said that patients who use drugs like Ozempic are just straight up stupid. Because remember...

The only way people are allowed to lose weight is in a way RFK Jr. approves of. Trump's Make America Healthy Again commission must create a report on their findings on these drugs in less than 100 days.

European leaders held an informal emergency meeting Monday in Paris to discuss the war between Ukraine and Russia. The meeting was called by French President Emmanuel Macron. It comes as the Trump administration prepares to engage in peace talks with Russia starting today in Saudi Arabia. Not on the guest list, Ukraine or any other European countries. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a public address after the meeting that European leaders shouldn't be surprised by the Trump administration's actions.

President Trump has long expressed the wish for Europe to step up and meet the demands of its own security, that he wants to get a lasting peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine. So today's informal meeting of European leaders was a vital first step in responding to that challenge.

Starmer also said in a newspaper article that he's willing to send British troops to enforce a peace deal in Ukraine if necessary. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will not accept a peace deal negotiated without Ukraine's input. Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum says she's ready to take on Google over the recent changes the company made to its maps. It's going along with President Trump's unilateral decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

During a press briefing Monday, Sheinbaum said if Google doesn't change it back, she's prepared to bring a lawsuit against the tech giant. Although it's unclear where or how that lawsuit would be filed. She claimed, quote, Google has no right to rename Mexico's continental shelf. Google has no right to rename Mexico's continental shelf.

Currently, Google Maps shows Gulf of America for U.S. users and Gulf of Mexico for Mexican users. But Scheinbaum argues that President Trump's name change should only apply to the U.S.-controlled part of the Gulf, and that the current labeling violates Mexico's sovereignty. It's just one of many issues driving a wedge between the U.S. and Mexico right now, but it's also definitely the stupidest. Scheinbaum said Mexican and U.S. officials are set to meet later this week to talk about trade and security. And that's the news.

One more thing. Babies. You might have one. You probably once were one. I think they are generally pretty cool. But there are many people who have decided that babies, or more accurately, a lack of babies, is a big problem. Yet their solutions seem notably tied to stuff they seem to have wanted anyway.

Birth rates in the United States and across the developed world have declined since the 1960s. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measure the American birth rate as around 1.6 per woman over her lifetime. That's pretty low, though still higher than countries like South Korea and Canada. The potential knock-on effects of low birth rates can be big, with fewer workers, an older workforce, more pressure put on Social Security, and a general decline in population.

Now, the U.S. has had the benefit of high levels of immigration to keep its workforce young, but with Trump in office, well, we'll just see what happens with those numbers. There are lots of reasons people don't have kids. For one, it turns out that when women gain more independence and nations develop, women don't tend to have as many kids. When you don't have birth control or health care, it's hard to determine how many kids you actually want to have.

Some have also pointed to the cost of living and a lack of support for families, particularly in the United States. The trouble is that even in countries with lots of social support for moms and families, and with high levels of gender equality, like in Nordic countries, birth rates are still declining. It's a problem. So it's no wonder that pronatalism has taken off, particularly among folks already interested in effective altruism and long-termism, focusing on the long-term future.

And as a noted supporter of babies and children and people who want to have them, that's fine. Not to be America's bravest soldier, but I think we should make life easier for parents to parent. But it hasn't been lost on me that some of pronatalism's biggest advocates, like Elon Musk, seem to act as if one, the act of simply having kids, rather than, you know, raising them and making sure they are happy, is in itself an unalloyed good. And two,

A lot of pronatalism, particularly online, seems to be focused on women. Specifically, women doing literally anything besides having babies. And let's be clear, having babies and heterosexual cis partnerships.

Here's conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair on Fox News in September 2023. It's the Chelsea Handler culture of it all, where they just want to pursue pleasure and drinking all night, going to Beyonce concerts. It's this pursuit of self-pleasure in replace of fulfillment and having a family. And we see this often now. I should probably note that this week, St. Clair claimed to have given birth to one of Musk's children, according to the New York Post. So there's that.

According to very online pronatalists, women shouldn't go to college or get jobs or do anything besides get pregnant and stay pregnant. And they mean that kind of literally. In December, the Heritage Foundation put out a paper arguing that one of the reasons women weren't having enough kids was because of, quote, harmful overconsumption of schooling, adding, quote, good things can become bad when pursued in excess. Notably, men are apparently allowed to overconsume, quote,

books

If I wanted people to have kids, I would probably tell them that they could pursue their dreams and interests and have a family. And I might come up with policies that let them do so. But if I just wanted to be a misogynist, I would probably focus on how women are just big dumb sluts who spend too much time reading books and going to college and being girl bosses and going to Beyonce concerts and not enough time getting impregnated, which is what misogynists were saying before they started ranting about birth rates, which should tell you something.

That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review. Please keep all of the planes operating safely and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just about how seriously, if you have a fear of flying, it is really critical that planes work like me. What a day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at cricket.com slash subscribe. I'm Jane Koston and the FAA fired almost 300 people on Monday, which seems not ideal.

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