{"id":6956,"date":"2025-04-03T07:04:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T07:04:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/?p=6956"},"modified":"2025-04-16T05:02:49","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T05:02:49","slug":"federal-layoffs-present-new-barriers-for-black-k-12-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/?p=6956","title":{"rendered":"Federal Layoffs Present New Barriers for Black K-12 Students"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>by\u00a0<span class=\"author vcard\"><a class=\"url fn n\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtoninformer.com\/author\/quintessa-williams-special-to-the-informer-via-word-in-black\/\">Quintessa Williams, Special to The Informer via Word in Black<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>When the Trump administration\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency began making sweeping cuts to the U.S. government, it not only dismantled entire departments and agencies but rattled Black America: although they make up just 14% of the U.S. population, Black people\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-doge-civil-service-race-black-americans-64980891924f179c7395ed7443107ce5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">account for nearly 19% of the federal workforce<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For generations, Black families have used federal jobs and the economic stability they offer as a pathway to a middle-class lifestyle, including homeownership and access to quality education. While the fallout from DOGE layoffs is still undetermined, the impact on Black students\u2014whose academic success, studies show, is closely tied to family employment and income\u2014has already begun.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a multi-generational threat,\u201d says Dr. Marla Dean, a veteran educator and chair of the Ward 7 Education Council in Washington, D.C., \u201cWe\u2019re not just talking about jobs \u2014 we\u2019re talking about Black economic stability, school funding, and whether our kids can show up ready to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1    \">\n<div class=\"newspack_global_ad scaip-1 fixed-height\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-caf9af3267-0\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<h2 id=\"h-when-black-families-lose-jobs-black-students-suffer\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>When Black Families Lose Jobs, Black Students Suffer<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Because the federal workforce has been one of the few open pathways to financial stability for Black families, President Donald Trump\u2019s targeting of those jobs is an indirect attack on Black economic security, Dean says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re talking about wiping out years of economic progress for Black families,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, decades of research confirm that parental job loss significantly affects student success. In 2021, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nber.org\/system\/files\/working_papers\/w28581\/revisions\/w28581.rev0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Bureau of Economic Research reported\u00a0<\/a>that a parent\u2019s loss of income increases a child\u2019s likelihood of repeating a grade by 15%, triggers higher rates of absenteeism, and lowers test scores.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, in a widely cited study, the<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/21523947\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u00a0National Library of Medicine found<\/a>\u00a0that the effect of parental job loss is nearly three times stronger for Black children than white children. Dean says those are logical outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudents can\u2019t show up to school ready to learn when their families are in crisis,\u201d she explains. \u201cIf this continues, we\u2019re going to see a wave of learning loss and behavioral challenges\u2014especially in Black-majority school districts.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-2    \">\n<div class=\"newspack_global_ad scaip-2 fixed-height\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-2bd992b9b0-0\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<h2 id=\"h-the-federal-job-cuts-could-hit-school-funding-too\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The\u00a0<strong>Federal Job Cuts Could Hit School Funding, Too<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Meanwhile, Dean says the aftershocks of massive federal layoffs might harm entire school districts through a domino effect as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/homeownership-racial-segregation-and-policies-for-racial-wealth-equity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">school funding is tied to property taxes<\/a>, and job losses could potentially push more Black homeowners into foreclosure, reducing a district\u2019s tax revenue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe saw this happen after the 2007-2009 housing crisis,\u201d Dean says. \u201cWhen Black homeownership dropped, so did funding for schools in those communities. We\u2019re in danger of repeating history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even more disturbing is Trump\u2019s threat to demolish the Department of Education, an agency that helps level the playing field for schools in low-income communities. If the DOE is eliminated, it will shrink resources for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wordinblack.com\/2025\/02\/title-i-funding-in-limbo-whats-at-stake-for-black-students\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Title I funding<\/a>, which provides services Black children disproportionately depend on, including free and reduced lunch programs, special education services, and mental health support.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSchools aren\u2019t ready for this,\u201d Dean warns. \u201cSome districts are trying to avoid talking about it because they know the fallout will be massive.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-what-happens-next-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Happens Next?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Although the bulk of DOGE staffing cuts are currently tied up in court, Dean warns compliance is not guaranteed and that much of the emotional and financial damage is already done.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-3    \">\n<div class=\"newspack_global_ad scaip-3 fixed-height\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-dc2e0e383b-0\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cYou can\u2019t undo the instability, the fear, and the financial strain families have already endured,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s going to show up in classrooms, in mental health, and in academic outcomes for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With Black students already overrepresented in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wordinblack.com\/2025\/02\/black-students-are-punished-more-then-expected-to-succeed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">school suspensions<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wordinblack.com\/2025\/03\/special-ed-isnt-fair-to-black-kids-and-dei-cuts-wont-help\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">special education<\/a>\u00a0referrals, Dean warns that economic instability could push even more students into these categories.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is what systemic oppression looks like,\u201d she adds. \u201cBlack children will pay the price for decisions they had no part in.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-call-for-collective-action\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Call for Collective Action<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the current outlook, Dean says there is hope. While philanthropy and nonprofit organizations can\u2019t replace federal funding, she says grassroots efforts will be crucial in the coming months.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a moment where Black communities will have to lean on each other, in an Underground Railroad-style network of support,\u201d Dean declares. \u201cWe have to recognize this for what it is and start strategizing now, ensuring families get the help they need \u2014 whether it\u2019s school resources, housing assistance, or mental health support.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-4    \">\n<div class=\"newspack_global_ad scaip-4 fixed-height\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-ca419f6974-0\">And she urges students and families to stay committed, no matter what obstacles come their way.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cTo parents: This is not your fault. Don\u2019t carry the burden of guilt,\u201d Dean says. \u201cTo students: Stay focused. Double down on your dreams and your goals. Learn deeply. Prepare for the doors that will open \u2014 because they will.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>This story was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wordinblack.com\/2025\/03\/federal-layoffs-present-new-barriers-for-black-k-12-students\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">originally published online with Word In Black<\/a>, a collaboration of the nation\u2019s leading Black news publishers (of which The Informer is a member).<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Source: Published without changes from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtoninformer.com\/trump-job-cuts-black-students\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Washington Informer Newspaper<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by\u00a0Quintessa Williams, Special to The Informer via Word in Black When the Trump administration\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6957,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[255,38,1,8,24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-america-under-attack","category-education","category-general","category-online-newspaper","category-regular-column"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6956"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6956\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6958,"href":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6956\/revisions\/6958"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}