A judge called the Education Department’s 2025 cuts of $600 million in teacher-training grants “arbitrary and capricious.”
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A federal judge on Thursday struck down an Education Department directive that cut $600 million from teacher-training grants based on what officials called “divisive ideologies.”
In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley of Massachusetts wrote that ED’s order was “arbitrary and capricious” and that officials failed to give sufficient notice or accept comments on the proposal. In addition, Kelley noted that they neglected to consider the impact of the cuts on the educators and students from more than 100 programs who relied on the Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development grants, which had the bulk of their funding cut.
Under prior administrations, the department encouraged programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion. But the February 2025 directive that Kelley struck down eliminated grants for teacher-training programs that include topics such as DEI, antiracism, social justice activism and instruction on white privilege and white supremacy. The department didn’t sufficiently explain its shift in position, Kelley wrote.
In response to a request for comment, ED press secretary Savannah Newhouse wrote to Inside Higher Ed, “Taxpayer dollars should support preparing teachers for meaningful student learning, expanding the pipeline of high-quality teachers and retaining top talent—not funding divisive ideology or racial preferences.”
The ruling came more than a year after eight states and several teacher associations sued the administration for terminating the grants. It does not restore the money, however; Kelley wrote that restoring the funds must be pursued through the Court of Federal Claims.
