The Trump administration has made cuts to some teacher-training grants aimed at improving techniques for working with English learners. The U.S. Department of Education issued non-continuation letters to several grantees, giving them seven days to appeal. While the exact number of affected programs remains unclear, at least 10 have been identified so far.
According to Madi Biedermann, the Education Department’s deputy assistant secretary for communications, the decision to cut these grants was made to reallocate funds to programs that better align with the administration’s priorities. This move is part of a broader trend of halting education grants under the Trump administration, impacting the professional development support available to teachers working with English learners.
The National Professional Development (NPD) grant program, funded by Congress through Title III federal funds, plays a crucial role in providing training for teachers to improve instruction for English learners. Despite the program receiving over $59 million in appropriations for the fiscal year 2024, the recent cuts have left many grantees uncertain about the future of their projects.
Many educators have expressed concerns about the lack of professional development opportunities to support the increasing number of English learners in K-12 schools. The NPD grant program was specifically designed to address this need by funding training programs for both pre- and in-service teachers nationwide.
Grantees like Tina Cheuk, an associate professor at California Polytechnic State University, emphasize the importance of following congressional mandates regarding the NPD grants, which are part of Title III funding. The sudden halt in funding has disrupted ongoing projects, leaving participants to seek alternative means to continue their education and training.
Laureen Avery, an academic program manager at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Avary Carhill-Poza, an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, are among the affected grantees who are now navigating the challenges of continuing their programs independently due to the funding cuts.
Despite the setbacks, grantees are determined to appeal the non-continuation decisions and seek clarity on the future of the NPD grant program. The uncertainty surrounding the grants has raised questions about the administration’s priorities and its impact on teacher training initiatives for English learners.
As educators and students grapple with the repercussions of these grant cuts, the broader implications of the Trump administration’s decision to reallocate funds from education grants to programs that align with its policies continue to unfold. The ongoing appeals process and the responses from grantees will shed light on the future of teacher training programs for English learners in the United States.
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