Supreme Court Temporarily Upholds Cuts to Teacher-Training Funds

The Supreme Court has temporarily upheld cuts to teacher-training funds as part of its anti-DEI efforts, while a lawsuit continues. The justices split 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the three liberal justices in dissent.

The cuts had been temporarily blocked by a federal judge in Boston, who found that they were already affecting training programs aimed at addressing a nationwide teacher shortage. The federal appeals court in Boston turned away an appeal from the administration to allow them to resume.

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun issued a temporary restraining order sought by eight Democratic-led states that argued the cuts were likely driven by efforts from Trump’s administration to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

The two programs at issue — the Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development — provide more than $600 million in grants for teacher preparation programs, often in subject areas such as math, science and special education. The states have argued that data has shown these programs had led to increased teacher retention rates and ensured that educators remain in the profession beyond five years.

The majority found that the states can keep the programs running with their own money for now, but the federal government likely wouldn’t be able to recover the cash if they ultimately win the lawsuit.