TUSLA, Idaho — A top administration official on Monday asked the federal government to boost its support for public schools in an attempt to improve the quality of instruction in the U.S. capital.
In a letter to President Donald Trump, Assistant Secretary for Education Lillian L. Schumacher said she would seek to expand funding for a program that helps students with disabilities attend school and also to help with the costs of implementing the president’s executive order to end federal funding for Head Start, a program designed to give low-income children access to high-quality education.
Schumacher, the assistant secretary for education, said the president has been “responsive” to his concerns and that “there is still a need for additional resources.”
The White House and Education Department have not responded to requests for comment on the letter.
Schusche said in the letter that she wants to make sure that Head Start is “safe, effective and accessible to students across the country.”
“As the first child to attend Head Start in her life, I can assure you that she is the best example of how Head Start can help our children achieve their educational goals,” she wrote.
“With her dedication to her students, I am confident that the president will continue to support Head Start and make sure it is safe, effective, and accessible.”
Schumachers letter comes as Trump is trying to get Congress to act on the presidents signature executive order in an effort to end taxpayer-funded subsidies for Head Starts, which have been a key source of federal support for disadvantaged students.
The order, signed Monday by Trump, is aimed at ending the federal payments to Head Start for the first time in nearly 20 years, and also requires the federal Education Department to stop receiving any federal money for Head start programs.