Federal threats to education funding could impact Wisconsin, Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Two developments in Washington have put millions of dollars in education funding in jeopardy.

One threatens to cut federal funding could directly impact every school in the country. Another freeze on education grants could affect Milwaukee Public Schools.

The Department of Education sent a letter to every state this week, requiring school districts to commit to not teaching diversity, equity, and inclusion lest they lose their federal funding.

Then late Friday afternoon the Supreme Court blocked a grant that's bringing new teachers to Milwaukee Public Schools.

Dr. Kimber Wilkerson is a UW Madison professor who runs the program. She said the freeze and ensuing court rulings "creates a lot of upheaval and concern."

Wilkerson isn't exactly sure what's next.

She leads a partnership between UW Madison and MPS to address the district's special education teacher shortage.

A $3.2 million Teacher Quality Partnership grant is allowing UW to train 36 people who are committed to teaching special education in MPS for at least three years.

But the Trump administration froze $65 million in grants in February. The UW-MPS grant was among them.

Wilkerson said, "I think it is detrimental to students with disabilities any time there's anything that kind of undermines or erodes the special education teacher workforce."

The Department of Education claimed the grants were used to "train teachers and education agencies on divisive ideologies."

Wilkerson says this grant does not teach DEI as it's come to be defined politically.

But it's impossible to teach special education without discussing equal and inclusive opportunities.

Wilkerson said, "Our program is focused pretty squarely on preparing kids who are often overlooked, often left behind, how to make sure we pick up on and address their learning needs to help them be successful."

Wisconsin and seven other states sued the administration in March and the grants were unlocked.

But the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling will keep the funding blocked until any appeals are resolved.

That uncertainty comes amid a much broader threat that could impact more than $800 million in school funding in Wisconsin alone.

This week the Department of Education sent a letter to administrators in all 50 states.

It requires districts that receive federal funding to promise to end programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights said, "Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right."

He claimed schools are "using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another."

The letter lays out the administration's interpretation of federal law, and says compliance is a condition for receiving federal funding.

Wisconsin DPI Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly responded by saying Wisconsin students, schools, and educators need support, not threats of funding cuts.

In a message to district administrators, Underly wrote, "We are carefully reviewing the legal implications of this new directive and are working closely with other states and agencies to coordinate our response."

The Department of Education is giving state education agencies 10 days to sign the letter.

But Underly wrote, "we remain confident Wisconsin schools and the DPI are in full compliance with the law."

The first cohort of 10 UW special education students is set to graduate in August. Private donations will allow them to finish without being impacted by the loss of the grant.

But Dr. Wilkerson said an excellent group of 14 people are enrolled and about to begin. They are unsure what will happen with that cohort.