SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and other education leaders are calling on President-elect Donald Trump and Congress to reaffirm their commitment to public education on Friday.
"I want to thank all of those that here today showing their support for California students and California education,” Thurmond said.
The California Department of Education Office said this comes after calls to get rid of the U.S. Department of Education. "The U.S. Department of Education - that has a storied tradition of bringing grants and funding - must be sustained,” Thurmond said.
Thurmond asked Trump and Congress to preserve federal support of the public education system and the funding of vital programs.
This after campaign promises from the President-elect on his website to get rid of it and give education control back to states.
Thurmond said getting rid of the federal Department of Education could result in a loss of nearly $8 billion in funding for California schools, which support low-income students, special education, and financial aid for colleges.
On Friday, he said outreach to members of Congress has already started.
"I'm prepared to sponsor legislation that would call on the California State Legislature and the Governor to backfill that funding to preserve and protect that funding for the students of California,” Thurmond said.
ABC 10News reached out to the Trump campaign about the President-elect's plans for the future of Department of Education.
A spokesperson said Trump will be making decisions on who will be in his cabinet.
For local teachers' unions, they're not going to stop protecting their students.
"We prioritize protecting our most vulnerable students, our immigrant students, our LGTBQ+ students. And we will continue as a union to advocate for the education that our students deserve,” said Kyle Weinberg, President of the San Diego Education Association.
