Randi Weingarten is the president of the American Federation of Teachers, the nation's second-largest teachers' union behind the National Education Association. (Reuters/Getty)
Trump has not taken any formal action to dismantle the the department, but media reports have signaled he is close to signing an executive order directing his education secretary, Linda McMahon, to begin the process. Last month, the president mused during a press conference from the Oval Office that the Education Department was "a big con job" that needed to be shut down "immediately."
Alongside his anticipated executive action to dismantle the department Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 29 to expand "educational freedom" for families through various school choice programs, including vouchers.
"We're fighting to protect our kids and protect that funding and not let Donald Trump or Elon Musk glom it off for tax cuts for billionaires or for block grants for vouchers," Weingarten responded after Jong-Fast asked what she and her union, the American Federation of Teachers, was doing to combat Trump. Weingarten added that regardless of whether you are a Republican or Democrat, ensuring American families have the economic and educational opportunities to achieve the American Dream, should be a priority.
"We all have to do a lot more to help make sure that families in America have what they need for a quality of life, for entry into the middle class," Weingarten said.
Students and classroom split image (iStock/Getty)
"The time is now for school choice in every state," the American Federation for Children, a nonprofit that advocates for school choice, added following Trump's order. "For a generation, our nation’s education system has been held hostage by bureaucrats and schooling unions who care only about preserving their own power, not the needs of American students."
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Since Trump's executive order boosting school choice funding, a handful of states have introduced legislation to make these programs more widely available. In total, 14 states have passed universal school choice bills.
Fox News Digital reached out to the American Federation of Teachers and Weingarten for comment, but did not hear back prior to publication.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/randi-weingarten-expressing-fear-ed-dept-closure-boost-school-choice-funds