TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at dismantling the Department of Education, leading to a reduction of nearly half its staff. The move raises concerns for educators at Drachman Montessori K-8 Magnet School, who rely on federal funding.
In response, dozens of educators and parents gathered on Friday at the corner of 10th and 22nd streets, near the school, holding signs reading "Autism is a Superpower" and "Inclusion Matters" to advocate for the educational rights of students—particularly those with autism—who could be impacted by cuts to the Department of Education.
"We don't really know what's going to be taken away, what's not," said Fernanda Manriquez, a teaching assistant at Drachman Montessori.
Manriquez, who works in a classroom of 12 special-needs students alongside one teacher and two aides, joined the demonstration. "I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but these are really high-needs kids who really need us to sit down and focus on one thing at a time," she explained.
While there have been no changes yet, Manriquez and other educators are concerned about losing vital staff. After Trump ordered the dismantling of the Department of Education, he also stated that oversight of "special needs" would move to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"I feel like our kids are always looked at last," Manriquez added.
Andrea Hemperley, a teacher at Drachman Montessori, emphasized the stakes. "We are a school that has three autism programs, and our students stand to lose a lot with this. We have a lot of staff that stand to lose a lot," she said.
Every year, the Department of Education provides billions of dollarsto help states serve more than 7 million children through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This funding supports the Exceptional Education department at Tucson Unified School District (TUSD), which creates programs for students eligible for special education services.
In the 2021-2022 school year, TUSD received 23.5% of its funding from federal sources, the highest percentage among Arizona's 10 largest school districts, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
"There are students who need toileting services. We've got speech therapy," Hemperley said. "We've got all kinds of services that these students need."
She and other educators hope their demonstration will show representatives how critical this funding is. "It's everything to us," Hemperley said. "It means school supplies for our kids, their services, everything they need to be able to access their education."
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Maria Staubs joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist and producer in July of 2024. Her passion for writing and storytelling stems from anchoring her middle school’s news show and editing her high school’s yearbook. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication with a minor in film and media production, as well as a master's degree in mass communication. You can email Maria at maria.staubs@kgun9.com or reach out to her on X/Twitter or Instagram.
