Trump Boosts Supreme Court Emergency Agenda with Teacher Training Grants Lawsuit

Former President Donald Trump has intensified his criticisms of federal judges, submitting an emergency request to the Supreme Court regarding federal grants for teacher training. This marks Trump’s third such request as part of his administration’s push against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

The Supreme Court filing aims to block a federal court’s temporary restraining order that mandates the continuation of funding for millions of dollars in teacher training grants. A group of eight Democratic-led states accused the Department of Education of unlawfully cutting these funds to suppress DEI initiatives.

The Justice Department has characterized this ruling as a troubling example of lower court judges exceeding their authority. Trump’s administration warned that if the grants continue, significant taxpayer funds could be irrevocably wasted. “Federal district courts will continue exceeding their jurisdiction,” the administration argued in its request, “ordering the executive branch to restore lawfully terminated grants and jeopardizing taxpayer money.”

Previously, Trump’s appeals focused on judicial overreach when contesting a ban on his executive order that aimed to end birthright citizenship. This most recent action echoes those sentiments, as Trump seeks to prevent the reinstatement of thousands of federal workers while maintaining that lower courts are overstepping their boundaries.

In his latest effort concerning teacher grants, Trump accused judges of undermining congressional authority by morphing claims related to contract and grant terminations into broader administrative lawsuits. The administration claimed that the goal of such challenges is to halt executive actions pertaining to extensive government funding deemed inconsistent with fiscal responsibilities and national interests.

Trump has called for the Supreme Court to intervene, asserting that it is time to curb what he described as “district-court fiscal micromanagement.” Meanwhile, the ongoing funding dispute involves grants aimed at enhancing educator quality through the Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development. These grants were originally established to aid recruitment and training of teachers in high-need areas, including rural and urban districts.

These funds have supported various initiatives, such as bilingual education training and special education preparation. However, the Trump administration contends that many of these programs promote what they label as “divisive ideologies” contrary to their policy goals.

California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Wisconsin have collectively sued the administration, asserting that the cuts have caused over $250 million in losses across states. The states emphasize that these grants directly support thousands of teachers and predict that without them, a national teacher shortage could escalate, further destabilizing local educational systems.

“Without these programs, schools in rural and urban areas will resort to hiring long-term substitutes and unlicensed teachers, jeopardizing educational standards,” the states asserted in their legal challenge.