ELC Challenges Harmful Federal Priorities That Undermine Public Schools

ELC submitted public comments June 18, 2025, in response to the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs. The department aims to prioritize funding for “evidence-based literacy, expanding education choice, and returning education to the states.”

ELC’s comments focus on our concerns that the administration’s stated intent, made clear in their press release, would abandon proven school initiatives like social emotional learning; diversity, equity and inclusion practices; and efforts to recruit and retain diverse educators. Our comments also denounce the department’s harmful “education choice” agenda, which would divert taxpayer dollars away from traditional public schools to private and charter schools that serve fewer of our most vulnerable student groups and often fail to deliver better outcomes.

Finally, our comments underscore the critical role of the U.S. Department of Education in funding public schools, enforcing education laws, and protecting students from discrimination and civil rights violations.