The Supreme Court Just Handed Trump the Keys to Dismantle Public Education

They gave him permission to gut the Department of Education. Here's what that actually means for students, and why this fight is far from over.

Yesterday, The Supreme Court gave Donald Trump permission to fire 1,400 education workers and essentially dismantle the Department of Education.

The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C.

This decision will systematically destroy the infrastructure that protects millions of students from discrimination, ensures they can access college loans, and guarantees educational opportunities for kids with disabilities.

What the Cuts Actually Mean

The Supreme Court's decision allows Trump to proceed with the largest workforce reduction in the Education Department's history. Here's what's actually being eliminated:

The U.S. Department of Education headquarters building.

Civil Rights Enforcement: Seven of the department's twelve regional civil rights offices will close permanently. These offices investigate discrimination complaints, enforce Title IX protections for sexual assault survivors, and ensure schools comply with disability accommodations under federal law.

Student Financial Aid: Staff who help students navigate the $1.6 trillion federal loan system are being terminated. The entire student aid portfolio will be transferred to the Treasury Department, though no transition plan has been made public.

Special Education Oversight: Workers who monitor compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act face layoffs. These staff ensure schools provide required services to students with autism, learning disabilities, and other special needs.

Educational Research: The Institute of Education Sciences, which tracks national school performance data and publishes authoritative statistics on American education, will lose most of its workforce.

Grant Administration: Programs providing billions in funding for teacher training, after-school programs, and support for low-income schools will be transferred to other agencies or eliminated entirely.

The department started 2025 with over 4,000 employees. After layoffs and transfers, fewer than 2,000 will remain to handle the same statutory responsibilities Congress assigned to the full department.

Justice Sotomayor's Dissent

In her dissent, Justice Sotomayor called this decision "indefensible." She wrote that the Court was handing "the Executive the power to repeal statutes by firing all those necessary to carry them out."

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a scathing dissent against the majority decision.

The Education Department was created by Congress in 1979, and only Congress has the authority to eliminate it. But the Supreme Court just said Trump can gut it anyway, as long as he leaves a "skeleton crew" behind.

It's like saying you can't demolish a house, but you can remove the foundation, the electrical system, and the plumbing, and then calling what's left a "streamlined" home.

The Historical Pattern

This isn't the first time powerful interests have tried to destroy public education. In the 1950s, massive resistance campaigns tried to defund schools rather than integrate them. In the 1980s, the Reagan administration attempted to eliminate the Education Department entirely.

Federal troops escort students during school integration at Little Rock Central High School in 1957.

These efforts consistently use language about "local control," "parental rights," and "government overreach" to justify policies that ultimately restrict quality education to wealthy families.

Supporting This Work

I create content that reaches hundreds of thousands of people every week because I believe knowledge is power. But platforms like TikTok and Instagram are unstable, and my reach gets throttled when I cover topics like this.

This newsletter is the one space where I can tell these stories without censorship.

But I need your help to keep going.

Right now, less than 4% of this newsletter’s 27,000 readers are paid subscribers. That makes it nearly impossible to do the deep investigative work this moment requires.

Here's what becomes possible with your support:

📚 At 5% paid subscribers: I can bring on education policy experts to break down complex legislation and court cases

🏫 At 10% paid subscribers: I can travel to schools and communities affected by these cuts, telling their stories directly

🌍 At 20% paid subscribers: I can create a platform for teachers, parents, and students to share their experiences and organize resistance

All for less than the cost of a coffee each month.

The Fight Isn't Over

The Supreme Court's decision is technically temporary. The case will continue in lower courts. But by the time those courts rule, the damage will be done. Students will have missed financial aid deadlines, discrimination cases will have gone uninvestigated, and kids with special needs will have been denied services.

They're counting on us to give up, accept this new reality, and forget that education is a human right.

I refuse.

Will you join me in this fight? Will you help me document what's happening and hold these powerful interests accountable?

History Can't Hide from Kahlil Greene is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

For one-time donations: Venmo (@TheGenZHistorian) or Cashapp ($kahlilgreene00)