Education is facing a crisis in the United States. Almost seven months ago, the government defunded the Department of Education, affecting many teachers and students as a result. 

Additionally, according to a USA Today article written by Zachary Schermele, the U.S. Department of Education laid off over 460 employees on Oct. 10.

“President Donald Trump and other administration officials have indicated the terminations are part of a broader effort to pressure congressional Democrats to end the ongoing government shutdown,” said Schermele.

Not only has the government defunded the department, but the recent shutdown of the government has caused chaos throughout all levels of education. At collegiate levels, funding from the federal government has been disrupted, which causes some college student grants/loans to be stopped.

These tragedies in education have hit a pause button on the younger generation who want to become teachers in the future. Almost 90% of the workers in the department of education have been laid off, and such a drastic change makes it harder to serve those students in need and get the funding public school districts need. 

“Nobody wants to teach anymore, so that affects students. Because you have all these great teachers who don’t want to teach. Like after COVID, everyone wanted to retire, and I don’t blame them,” said Emma Bradley-Krieger, a senior elementary education major. 

Cathy A.R. Brant, an associate professor in Rowan’s College of Education, shared her insight on what’s happening right now in the education world. 

“It is a scary time for both P-12 and higher education. Immediately, when the new administration started, there were a lot of cuts to federal grants, research grants, and research funding. And part of it is that universities get some of that money themselves, not just for the researchers. I have had friends whose grants were completely cut,” said Brant. 

The conditions at the university level create a hard time for graduates who want to get grants and aren’t able to. Professors who are specifically an education major professor have seen what these conditions have done for their students who are becoming teachers.

“It affects me in an interesting way, not just because I am a professor but because I am a professor of education. And a lot of these grants cuts are not just at the university level but also at P-12 levels. There is some funding that elementary and middle school, high school were expecting to get, which has been delayed or cut off in lawsuits,” said Brant. “As someone who prepares teachers, it’s a little bit of a scary time because it is a very complicated landscape that I am preparing them for,” said Brant. 

The crisis happening in the education world has now made it difficult for school districts to fill their teacher positions. The percentage of teacher shortages is going higher each year. Almost 86% of the nationwide school districts are now finding it hard to find teachers who are willing to fill their teacher positions. 

“I believe that it is already shaping my future and our future. I’m scared to say the least,” said Bradley-Krieger. 

The government shutdown has prevented public school districts from giving the right resources to students, and universities are facing the exact same problems. 

“I think there is a lot that faculty and folks like that can do on the personal level to help support students to help them understand that this is just a period in time and we don’t know what going to happen next and that we don’t have to straight into panic mode and that we are okay for right now and we will figure out each step along the way,” said Brant. 

The hardships of the education world have not stopped students from going into this field, and they look beyond the crisis of what’s happening. All that matters is that students and teachers get what they deserve.

“Have hope, have faith, keep going every day. It’s hard, like some days are really hard when you look at your phone and see the news and see everything that is happening, but you have to think that when you go to work and you have children that are counting on you, you’ll be okay, it’ll all work eventually,” said Bradley-Kriege.

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