The Ladder Pulled Up: How the Supreme Court and Trump’s Budget Gut Public Education and Entrench Inequality
How Two July Decisions Threaten to Collapse the Ladder of Educational Opportunity
On July 4, President Trump signed his “One Big Beautiful Bill”, the 2026 federal budget, into law. Ten days later, on July 14, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority, in a shadow‑docket ruling, cleared the way for his administration to begin dismantling the Department of Education.
In less than two weeks, these two actions delivered a devastating blow to America’s already fragile education system. They slashed funding, gutted oversight, and sent a chilling message to students, families, and public‑service workers: the ladder of opportunity is no longer for you.
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The Court’s Shadow‑Docket Ruling: DOE Hollowed Out
On July 14, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 to let the Trump administration proceed with mass layoffs at the Department of Education. The decision, issued without full briefing or oral argument, part of the Court’s increasingly controversial shadow docket, offered no real explanation. In dissent, Justice Sotomayor warned that the layoffs would “effectively paralyze the Department’s ability to enforce the nation’s education and civil rights laws” and would “leave the most vulnerable students abandoned by the very agency charged with protecting them.”
The layoffs, which are already underway, will eliminate nearly 1,400 employees, many from the Office for Civil Rights, Title I oversight teams, and Federal Student Aid. Investigations into racial and disability discrimination are being shelved. Oversight of Title I schools, which serve low-income communities, is grinding to a halt. And the remaining staff are being asked to do the impossible in an environment that was already chaotic and understaffed during months of litigation.
See our reporting on the attack on the Department of Education here:
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The Budget: Cutting the Rungs Off the Ladder
Where the Court’s ruling gutted enforcement, Trump’s budget starves the system outright. This came just days after the administration also froze nearly $7 billion in already-appropriated federal funds for summer and after-school programs, a move now being challenged in court by over two dozen states. Our earlier reporting details how that decision left schools scrambling and students without vital summer services.
See our recent reporting on that development here:
Signed on July 4, the budget slashes funds for Title I, IDEA oversight, English language learner programs, and TRIO programs that have long provided modest but critical support to students in disadvantaged communities.
It also dismantles the financial aid landscape that many low‑income and first‑generation college students depend on. Federal Work‑Study, a lifeline that allows students to earn money on campus while staying connected to their studies, is capped. Graduate and PLUS loan limits are cut, forcing students to borrow from expensive private lenders or forgo advanced degrees altogether. The budget replaces income-driven repayment plans with a 30-year path to forgiveness and extends Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) from 10 years to 30, making public-service careers financially untenable for most.
We’ve been covering the budget since the beginning. See our compilations of most of the coverage here:
Who Gets Hurt
These changes don’t affect everyone equally, and perhaps that is the point. The Court and the budget target the programs that, however imperfectly, helped close the gap between suburban and rural students, between affluent and low‑income families, between white students and students of color.
Even before these decisions, the disparities were already stark. In large suburban schools, students graduate with International Baccalaureate diplomas, dual‑credit courses, and fully‑equipped science labs. Meanwhile, rural schools struggle to sustain even a modest honors track, often asking students to share outdated materials and leaving them ill‑prepared for higher education. The federal programs now being gutted didn’t erase these inequalities, but they kept the gaps from becoming unbridgeable.
Who Will Do the Work?
The question now is who will choose to serve. Teaching, social work, librarianship, and public defense jobs already pay poorly and come with immense stress. PSLF and manageable loan terms made it at least conceivable for people to enter these professions without being buried in debt for life.
But under the new rules, who will choose to spend three decades being underpaid, disrespected, and still owing every penny of the education they needed just to get there? Many already answer that question by staying in retail or leaving the field entirely. And with these policies in place, even fewer will step forward.
See our coverage of PSLF here:
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There Is Still Time, Especially for Borrowers
While the Court’s decision has already unleashed chaos at the Department of Education, with layoffs underway, the most dramatic loan changes in the budget won’t take effect until July 2026. Current borrowers can still finish under the 10‑year PSLF program if they reach eligibility before then. Existing income‑driven repayment plans still apply for now, though they will be phased out for new borrowers after 2026. And Work‑Study, though capped, still exists.
For now, the DOE remains in crisis, its ability to enforce civil rights and fund schools already crumbling, but the loan provisions give borrowers and advocates a brief window to organize, pressure lawmakers, and pursue lawsuits that could mitigate or reverse some of the worst damage.
The Call
Education has always been one of America’s few remaining tools to close the wage and wealth gaps, one of the last ladders out of poverty. But these two decisions — the Court’s shadow‑docket ruling and Trump’s budget — don’t just remove a few rungs. They threaten to saw the ladder off entirely, leaving only those already at the top with a way up.
We should not accept a country where students’ futures depend entirely on where they’re born, how much their parents earn, or whether they can afford a car just to reach an off‑campus job. And we should not let cynics convince us that public service is for suckers, that it is normal to spend three decades working for poverty wages, being treated like a servant, and still owing for the privilege.
The hill may already be steep, the ice already slick, and the spikes stripped from too many students’ shoes, but it is not yet too late to fight for a fair climb.
What You Can Do
These decisions aren’t inevitable, and they don’t have to stand unchallenged. Lawmakers and courts still have the power to reverse or mitigate the damage, but only if they hear from the public. Here are steps you can take today:
Call Congress
Demand that your senators and representative oppose these cuts and push to restore funding and oversight at the Department of Education.
You can reach the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224‑3121 to be connected to your members of Congress.
Sample script:
“Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [Your City/ZIP]. I’m calling to urge [Senator/Representative Name] to oppose the education cuts in the 2026 budget and to support restoring staffing and funding at the Department of Education. These cuts hurt students, families, and public servants, and they entrench inequality. Please do everything you can to reverse them. Thank you.”
Support Grassroots & Watchdog Groups
Organizations like the National Education Association (NEA), Student Borrower Protection Center, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and Education Law Center are already fighting these changes in court and in the streets. Donate, volunteer, or amplify their work.
Share Your Story
Whether you’re a student, parent, teacher, or borrower, your voice matters. Share your experiences online, write a letter to the editor, and make sure people understand how these decisions affect real lives.
Final Note
The more pressure lawmakers and watchdogs feel now, the more likely we are to preserve — and rebuild — the ladders of opportunity these decisions have threatened to destroy.
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Bibliography:
Sherman, Mark. “Supreme Court Allows Trump to Lay Off Nearly 1,400 Education Department Employees.” AP News, July 14, 2025.
“The Supreme Court Just Handed Trump His Biggest Victory of His Second Term.” Vox, July 14, 2025.
“New Gov’t Student‑Loan Restrictions Explained: Everything You Need to Know about the Changes.” New York Post, July 14, 2025.
“A Big Change to Student Loans in Trump’s Spending Bill Could Make It Harder to Become a Doctor or Lawyer.” Business Insider, July 2025.
“Tax Bill Also Delivered Huge Education Changes.” The Washington Post, July 11, 2025.
“White House Preps for Legal Fight over Firings — Despite Court Victory.” The Washington Post, July 14, 2025.
“Are You a Student Loan Borrower? Here’s How the One Big Beautiful….” CBS News, July 2025.
“What’s Next After Trump Signed ‘Big Beautiful Bill’.” Inside Higher Ed, July 10, 2025.
 | A guest post by
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I’m an educator at a Title I high school. This cut will hurt our students and families get a fair shake in life. It will further divide affluent and less affluent schools, and we have many rural communities in our state that will be affected.
Trump is cruel. The education system and the libraries and the students are failing.