Philadelphia schools superintendent advocates for federal funding as Trump works to shut down Education Department
School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington began his week on Capitol Hill advocating to protect funding for the city's public schools as the Trump administration looks to dismantle the Department of Education.
"Any potential cuts would have significant impacts on children and families," Watlington said.
Despite being the eighth largest school district in the country, Watlington says Philadelphia schools are historically underfunded.
Ten percent of the district's revenue comes from the federal government, dollars he says have been crucial for improvements in the education system.
"We are seeing some significant return on investment," Watlington said. "Student attendance is increasing, test scores are increasing, the four-year graduation rate is increasing, and the dropout rate is decreasing."
President Trump has argued that federal regulation in education has failed students, parents and teachers. He says he believes shutting down the Department of Education would return power to states and parents.
However, Mr. Trump would need congressional approval to eliminate the department.
Wendy Coleman, vice president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, said this approach could be problematic.
"Each governor, each politician can decide if your school district is worthy of resources," Coleman said.
That includes resources such as supplemental instruction in low-income communities and specialized teachers for students with individualized education plans.
"It could be a one-to-one to help them daily in the classroom. It could be adaptive resources and materials to meet them where they are," Coleman said. "If we lose funding and students are unable to get those things, I'm not sure how we bring students up to par so that they're equal with their peers."
The president plans to reassign issues relating to students with special needs to the Department of Health and Human Services.
