Trump Ends Obama-Era Policy
The Trump administration has ended an Obama-era school mandate that forced districts nationwide to provide a wide range of services for students who do not speak English.
The 2015 policy, created under former President Barack Obama, required schools to deliver special language programs, disability accommodations, and full access to curriculum materials for immigrant students. That federal directive has now been officially rescinded, according to a notice posted on the Department of Education’s website and reported by The New York Times.
At the time, the Obama administration warned schools that failing to comply could be considered a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race and national origin. But the Trump administration has taken a different approach, stressing that education policies must not favor certain groups at the expense of others. Supporters say this shift restores fairness and prevents taxpayer dollars from being disproportionately steered toward programs that prioritize illegal immigrants over American students.
Local Control Over Washington Overreach
While many school districts already run English-learning programs and may not change immediately, the rollback puts control back into the hands of local communities. Without federal micromanagement, schools now have the flexibility to decide how best to allocate resources, rather than being forced to comply with blanket mandates from Washington bureaucrats.
Education insiders who oppose the move warn that without federal oversight, some districts may reduce or restructure programs. But critics of the Obama-era rules argue that Washington’s one-size-fits-all approach undermined local decision-making and drained school budgets.
Obama Mandates vs. Trump’s America-First Education
Jill Siegelbaum, a former Education Department attorney, admitted that even though the guidance has been withdrawn, the laws protecting English learners remain unchanged since the 1980s. In other words, students are still protected, but the Trump administration has stopped federal agencies from weaponizing civil rights law to expand special programs that often created new inequalities.
This decision reflects President Trump’s broader agenda: ending politically driven mandates, cutting wasteful spending, and making sure America’s schools put U.S. students first.
