Judge Says the Government Cannot Delete Teacher Training With a Buzzword

A federal judge has struck down a Trump administration directive that eliminated roughly $600 million in teacher-training grants. The Education Department said the programs promoted “divisive ideologies.” The court said the government still has to follow federal law, even when somebody in Washington discovers a phrase that sounds scary on cable news.

U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley ruled Thursday that the 2025 directive was arbitrary and capricious. The department bypassed required notice-and-comment procedures and did not adequately consider how states, universities, students and school districts relied on the grants.

The programs addressed real teacher shortages

The Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development programs funded more than 100 projects. They trained educators for high-need subjects and schools while supporting recruitment and retention.

Eight Democratic-led states challenged the cuts. The Supreme Court had earlier allowed the administration to stop the money while litigation continued, so Kelley’s ruling does not automatically put every dollar back. Affected institutions may need to pursue financial claims separately.

The ruling is about process as well as policy

Associated Press reported the decision on September 18, 2026. The Education Department had not immediately commented.

Administrations can change priorities. They cannot replace evidence, statutory procedure and practical consequences with a label and a delete key. The country already has teacher shortages. Turning the training pipeline into an ideological piñata was never a serious staffing plan.

YOUR COLUMNIST

Dana Side-Eye

Receipts, Rumors & Internet Nonsense

Dana reads the fine print, checks the timeline, and keeps one eyebrow permanently raised. She covers viral claims, internet pile-ons, and suspiciously convenient explanations.

“Screenshots are forever. So is the side-eye.”