Dismantling the Dept. of Education is Impacting Ann Arbor Students

by Salem Dinh

I am writing to you today as a current high school student in Ann Arbor about the recent decisions regarding the Supreme Court of the United States. As you may have recently heard, on July 14th, 2025, the Supreme Court authorized President Trump’s administration to begin dismantling the Department of Education. A proud born and raised citizen of Ann Arbor, I’m both disgusted and angered by this decision. I currently attend Ann Arbor Public Schools, and have witnessed firsthand the effects of size reductions in education with the recent budget cuts this past year.

Looking at this decision, the most concerning part should be that the majority that voted for this decision wasn’t able to follow up with reasoning. There is no justification or understanding of the ‘other side’ when the other side cannot even explain itself. Looking at our constitution and the way our government was envisioned, the executive branch was never meant to impede on the happenings of the Department of Education when it was originally established by Congress. Our representatives are meant to create these initiatives to layoff workers, not president Trump or his administration.

Not only is this decision unconstitutional, but its ruling will disproportionately affect minority students. These layoffs are attacking programs and services that require larger manpower, such as special education programs for students with disabilities or bilingual programs for foreign students.

My little brother, who is part of these special needs programs, deserves to grow up in a country that will guarantee his academic success. He was born in America. He has grown up here, and only ever known American society. He is just as American as any other citizen, and so is every other student who is part of special education programs.

Coming from two immigrant parents, this is not the country that they fought their whole lives working to come too. They came for the free education that was promised to us for so long. They came for their children, us, to experience it. I am watching as it is stripped away from me before my eyes by a court system that was meant to protect me, not oppress me.

I’m not just writing as the older sister of a disabled student or child of immigrants, though. I’m writing to you as a human and citizen of the United States of America who knows that dismantling the Department of Education goes against every belief our country was built on. We’re meant to have the freedom to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I beg you to keep your eyes on that last freedom. How can we pursue our happiness when some may not even learn how to spell that word?

It’s not hopeless, though. Students and adults alike have the ability to act up and speak out against this ruling. It’s still our Dept. of Education and our Supreme Court; not theirs.