State Superintendent Tony Thurmond calls on Trump to preserve federal education department
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond demanded President-elect Donald Trump commit to preserving the U.S. Department of Education, which the incoming president threatened to abolish while on the campaign trail.
The California Department of Education leader said on Friday lawmakers should replace some of the the $79 billion that could be lost under Trump’s plan if the DOE is abolished. The superintendent did not say where that money could come from.
“This is an issue of continuing to assure that students have access to the resources that they are entitled to under the law,” Thurmond said during a Friday press conference.
Thurmond said he was prepared to sponsor state legislation to replace the federal funding that could be revoked under the new administration. The impact of abolishing the DOE on federal education funding to states isn’t clear. Thurmond said the state would not end any special education programs, even if federal dollars for those dry up due to Trump’s actions.
Thurmond said legislative action to protect funding in education was a contingency plan.
After Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a special session Thursday to “protect California values” from a second Trump administration, GOP leaders in California condemned the governor’s action as a political stunt. Later on Thursday, Attorney General Rob Bonta spoke about the potential impact of a second Trump term.
“I know Tony Thurmond is jealous that Attorney General Bonta beat him to a resistance-themed press conference, but if he wants to be governor, he’s got bigger things to worry about. Less than half of California students are meeting standards for English and more than two-thirds are behind in math and science,” said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City.
Thurmond, who is running for governor in 2026, stood beside California lawmakers and educators to reaffirm that state’s commitment to providing educational services to all students. Those students with disabilities and children from immigrant families are particularly vulnerable to potential actions by Trump, the speakers said.
The federal education department is responsible for implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, legislation designed to support low-performing schools and students with disabilities respectively.
“This is not just a political battle, it is a moral one,” Sacramento City Unified Trustee Chinua Rhodes, said on Friday. “These protections are not luxuries, they are promises written in the fabric of our nation.”
While campaigning for president, Trump proposed mass deportations of undocumented migrants.
Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, said Trump’s threats targeted the most vulnerable students. On Friday, Muratsuchi affirmed the state’s commitment to making schools a safe place for all students. He noted the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision found that states cannot deny students access to public education, regardless of their immigration status.
Alongside threats to dismantle the federal education department, the conservative blueprint Project 2025, which former Trump advisors and supporters drafted, proposed privatizing student loans and passing federal legislation on parental rights. Trump distanced himself from the proposal, saying he hadn’t read it, during the campaign.
After Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris Tuesday, some of his allies said Project 2025 would be his agenda.
Asked how California would respond to a federal law that requires teachers to inform parents of a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity, Thurmond said California respects parents rights but educators should not be forced to “out” LGBTQ+ students who are at higher risk of negative mental health outcomes. He pointed to the recent California legislation that protects educators from being required to report students’ sexual orientation or gender expression.
“Given the magnitude and the impact of what has been proposed, we cannot be flat footed,” Thurmond said.
Attorney General Rob Bonta used similar language in a Thursday press conference establishing himself and the California Department of Justice as defenders against Trump. A high profile Democratic politician, Bonta has considered running for governor.
The race for governor already includes a cast of Democrats including Sen. Toni Atkins, Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former state Controller Betty Yee. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, also recently teased a potential run.