Abrupt Funding Cuts Include Disruptions to Programs That Address Teacher Shortages in Springfield, Holyoke, and Boston
BOSTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today co-led a coalition of attorneys general in a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful termination of grant funding for nationwide K-12 teacher preparation programs. The termination includes more than $6
million in funding cuts to Massachusetts-based programs designed to address the ongoing shortage of licensed teachers in school districts in Springfield, Holyoke, and Boston.The lawsuit was filed today in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and argues that the terminations, which were issued without warning and with immediate effect, violate the Administrative Procedure Act. The attorneys general seek a temporary restraining order to reinstate funds to teacher preparation programs that have been terminated and prevent any future disruptions, especially as any such disruptions immediately reduce the number of teachers and teacher trainees serving in schools, particularly in rural and urban communities.
“The Trump Administration’s unlawful funding cuts have recklessly disrupted programs designed to address the ongoing teacher shortage in the Commonwealth, including those serving vulnerable students with special needs,” said AG Campbell. “By filing this lawsuit, we seek to restore funding to these necessary programs that help increase the number of high-quality educators in some of our most in-need school districts.”
"It was disappointing to learn that this project was cancelled with only 5 hours notice. Working with school leaders, UMass educators designed this program to support paraprofessionals to earn their initial teaching license,” said Gregory Kelly, Dean of the UMass Amherst College of Education. “Grounded in classroom practice, this project was developing a highly qualified workforce to teach our youngest learners.”
Since February 7, 2025, the Department of Education has abruptly terminated hundreds of millions of dollars in nationwide grants funded through the Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development programs. These funds are allocated by Congress to provide grants to teacher preparation programs nationwide, helping to address the country’s teacher shortage by creating pipelines for non-teachers to become high-quality licensed teachers. Teacher preparation programs are specifically designed to support rural and urban communities and harder-to-fill subject areas, such as math, science and special education. The programs have been shown to increase teacher retention rates and ensure that educators remain in the profession beyond the crucial first five years.
In Massachusetts, the Trump Administration’s abrupt funding cuts have already disrupted teacher preparation programs and could likely lead to layoffs, reduction and elimination of school programs, and significant harm to students and their education.
The Massachusetts-based programs include the University of Massachusetts’ “Para to Teacher Program,” which intended to use the Department’s funds to help address the significant shortage of licensed early childhood educators in the Springfield and Holyoke public school districts, where a large proportion of the student population has high needs.
Additionally, the funding cuts have impacted one of the “Teacher Pipeline Programs" at Boston Public schools, which relies on the Department’s funds to help meet the district’s growing need for multilingual and special education teachers. As a result of the Administration’s funding cuts, BPS may have no choice but to eliminate at least three full-time positions funded through one of the Department’s grants, endangering a teacher residency program designed for BPS bilingual paraeducators to earn advanced degrees and become licensed teachers.
In 2024, more than 400,000 teaching positions in the U.S., representing about one in eight of all teaching positions nationwide, were vacant or filled by uncertified teachers. Teacher shortages can lead to significant harm to students’ education, as they often result in larger class sizes, cancelled courses, classes staffed with teachers less able to teach a subject, and more.
A copy of AG Campbell and the coalition’s lawsuit in its entirety is available here.
Joining AG Campbell in co-leading this lawsuit are California Attorney General Rob Bonta and New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin. The lawsuit was also joined by the attorneys general of Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Wisconsin.
Statements of Support:
Dr. Patrick Tutwiler, Massachusetts Secretary of Education
“Thank you, Attorney General Campbell and your team, for today’s actions. Over time, we have seen fewer and fewer people want to become teachers. Cutting teacher preparation funding will exacerbate the workforce shortages being felt around the country and here in Massachusetts, harming student access to a high-quality education. Our state remains focused on building a more diverse, inclusive and robust teacher pipeline and field.”
Erik Berg, President of the Boston Teachers Union
“The BTU stands with Attorney General Campbell in challenging the cancellation of this important grant program. By taking away this crucial funding, Boston lost a needed pipeline for members of our community to serve our community by becoming teachers with a focus on the students who need it the most. In a time of an increasing teacher shortage, these funds are essential to ensuring that Boston's future is bright.”
Max Page, President, and Deb McCarthy, Vice President, of the Massachusetts Teachers Association
“Massachusetts has been making strides to both increase and diversify our teaching force, and this abrupt and illegal termination of federal funding for teacher preparation programs will undermine those efforts. We applaud Attorney General Andrea Campbell and state attorneys general from around the country for challenging the legality of yet another attack on public education by the Trump administration. As it becomes clearer by the day that Massachusetts will need to stand up to the Trump administration to protect our values, the MTA will also continue working with the Healey administration to promote Massachusetts programs for debt-free public higher education, such as Tomorrow’s Teachers and tuition-free college, and policies, such as the expanded pathways to licensure, to continue building and diversifying the workforce needed to educate our students.”
Jessica Tang, President of the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts
“Eliminating federal grants that support critical teacher pipeline programs at a time when we already have an educator shortage makes no sense and, at the end of the day, the ones bearing the brunt of this decision will be some of our state's most vulnerable students. We applaud Attorney General Campbell for taking action to challenge the legality of this decision and for continuing to stand up for our students, educators, and public schools. Public education is a public good critical to our democracy, and we will continue to work together with the Attorney General and the Administration to protect it.”
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