Arizona leads lawsuit against Trump on education job cuts
The lawsuit says 1,300 employees at the department have lost their jobs already, or approximately half the staff.
PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and 19 other state Attorneys General are suing the Trump administration over mass firings at the U.S. Department of Education, calling the cuts a deliberate effort to dismantle public education.
The lawsuit says 1,300 employees at the department have lost their jobs already, or approximately half the staff.
Mayes is arguing the reductions will cripple the department’s ability to perform its federally mandated duties.
“Not just an administrative shake-up. This is part of a deliberate effort to dismantle public education in this country,” Mayes said.
Mayes says Arizona alone receives $2.8 billion in federal education funding.
The department also oversees civil rights enforcement, school performance data, funding for disability education, and funding for teacher training programs. Mayes’s concern is that the money can’t keep coming without enough staff to disperse it.
“There is absolutely no way that the Department of Education can perform its legal obligations with half the workforce,” Mayes said.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, however, supports eliminating the US Department of Education,. He believes Arizona can manage its own schools without Washington’s oversight.
“I’m hoping, rather than the governor, it’ll go to the State Superintendent of Schools,” Horne said. “And one thing I can promise—I can do a much better job than the federal Department of Education.”
Mayes dismissed that argument, saying Arizona’s education system is already stretched thin.
“The Arizona Department of Education is already massively underfunded. It is already incapable of even competently administering the voucher program,” Mayes said.
Supporters of eliminating the Department of Education, including the Goldwater Institute, argue that federal involvement has not improved education.
“Essentially, you have this behemoth, this apparatus of jobs and programs that now take all this paperwork and compliance and all these pieces that aren’t actually improving the education of kids,” said Matt Beienburg with the Goldwater Institute.
Beienburg and other critics want to return education decision-making to the states, arguing that local control would be more effective.
Watch 12News for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12+ app!
The free 12+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like “Today in AZ” and “12 News” and our daily lifestyle program, “Arizona Midday”—on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.
12+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for “12 News KPNX.”
Amazon Fire TV: Search for “12 News KPNX” to find the free 12+ app to add to your account, or have the 12+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.