Education Leaders Urge McMahon to Reject Waiver Requests for K-12 Education Funds That Allow States to Avoid Accountability
Washington, D.C. — Today, congressional Democrats urged Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to reject any efforts by states to undermine the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which specifically directs funding to high-poverty schools, English as a Second Language programs, afterschool and summer learning, and more.
The letter was sent by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
It comes on the heels of reports that Iowa and Oklahoma are pushing to combine dedicated programmatic funding into a single block grant. This would shortchange marginalized students and under resourced schools intended to be supported by individual grant programs.
“We ask that you reject any unlawful waivers and write to remind you of ESEA’s longstanding restrictions preventing the Secretary from waiving critical guardrails,” wrote the Members. “We also caution you against issuing any other waivers that abdicate the federal government’s responsibility to hold states accountable for meeting their statutory and regulatory obligations under ESEA.”
The lawmakers continued, “The federal role in education acts as an accountability measure to ensure states provide all children with high-quality education that is not limited by race, color, nationality, gender, ability, immigration status, or socioeconomic class. Any negligence or misuse of secretarial authority risks perpetuating disparities and failing the very students these provisions aim to support.”
The Members emphasize that the law is clear: ESEA’s requirements are not optional. They underscored the federal government's essential role in directing additional resources to the students who need them most, including those in high-poverty schools and those experiencing homelessness. They warned that any effort to block grant these funds would jeopardize progress in closing longstanding educational disparities.
In accordance with their respective committees’ oversight responsibilities, the Members urged Secretary McMahon to uphold the law, reject any unlawful waiver requests, and ensure that the Department of Education remains committed to its mission of promoting equal access to education for all students, regardless of their background or circumstances.
To read the full text of the letter, click here.
###
Next Article Previous Article