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Miami-Dade, FL - Newly appointed Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon visited a charter school and a private Orthodox Jewish school in Miami-Dade on Tuesday.
Secretary McMahon reinforced that her role aligns with President Trump’s objective of phasing out the DOE during Tuesday's visit with charter school officials, stating "The president has made it clear where he wants the Department of Education to be, and that’s nowhere."
Miami-Dade School Board member Monica Colucci, the only representative from traditional public schools at the event, acknowledged the uncertainty but noted that funding remains steady for now.
“We have not lost any funding. We are monitoring the situation closely,” she said.
However, parents of children with disabilities worry about the potential loss of critical DOE-administered programs.
McMahon dismissed concerns over Title I funding, teacher salaries, and special education resources, stating that funding will remain in place.
“None of that is true,” Secretary McMahon said, emphasizing that the primary goal is to eliminate government bureaucracy rather than cut essential services.
Meanwhile, leaders from Miami-Dade College and Florida International University took the opportunity to highlight the importance of federal education grants.
Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez expressed that while DOE cuts are being closely monitored, she is more concerned about potential research funding reductions at the National Institutes of Health.
With half of the DOE workforce already cut, the question remains whether the department can continue delivering necessary services efficiently.