Frozen Funds, Fierce Response: Why We Keep Fighting for Public Education

Frozen Funds, Fierce Response

Welcome back to Teach, Lead, Innovate! In this episode, Dave Walker dives headfirst into the chaos caused by the Trump administration’s decision to freeze - and then slowly reinstate - over $6.8 billion in federal education funding.

What happened? Why did it matter? And what are educators, leaders, and innovators doing now to fight back and keep students at the center?

This episode pulls in quotes from major education voices like Randi Weingarten, Michael Roth, and Vassilis Syrmos, alongside powerful research from the Learning Policy Institute, NASFAA, and more.

Dave gets real about his own concerns, shares leadership lessons, and offers a rallying cry for every educator feeling discouraged by politics and policy. Because kids deserve better. And we’re the ones who will make sure they get it.

🔍 In This Episode:

• The real impact of the 2025 federal funding freeze on K–12 schools and universities
• Direct quotes from national education leaders and researchers
• How teachers and school leaders are adapting and innovating
• Why public education needs champions now more than ever
• What you can do to advocate, innovate, and lead forward

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📚 References (APA-style):

Carrasco, M. (2025). What cuts in Institute of Education Sciences funding mean for higher education research. NASFAA. https://www.nasfaa.org/news-item/35685

Learning Policy Institute. (2025). How education funding matters: Lessons from NAEP, pandemic, and recovery efforts.https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/blog/how-education-funding-matters

Maiers, S. (2025, July 25). Educators react to Trump administration unfreezing remaining federal funds. NEA Today. https://www.nea.org/about-nea/media-center/press-releases

Roth, M. (2025, July). Interview on The Gray Area podcast. Vox. https://www.vox.com/the-gray-area/421054/college-ai-attack-roth-wesleyan-trump

Syrmos, V. (2025, May). University of Hawaiʻi official statement. Civil Beat. https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/05/uh-scrambles-to-address-high-risk-financial-situation-amid-trump-cuts

Weingarten, R. (2025). Quote retrieved from The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/jul/25/trump-administration-education-funds-released