Attorney General Josh Kaul has joined a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration's decision to terminate grant funding for K-12 teacher preparation programs. The University of Wisconsin-Madison received notification on February 7, indicating the termination of over $3 million in funding intended to alleviate the state's teacher shortage through these programs.
These initiatives aim to create a pipeline for teachers in rural and urban areas, focusing on subjects like math and science. They have been shown to improve teacher retention rates beyond the first five years. The attorneys general argue that the abrupt terminations violate the Administrative Procedure Act and are seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent disruptions.
AG Kaul stated, "As this case shows, wildly cutting grant funding without any serious deliberation has real-world consequences. The court should step in and put a halt to the Trump administration’s attempt to eliminate this grant funding that’s helping to address the teacher shortage."
In 2024, there were more than 400,000 vacant or uncertified teaching positions across the U.S., impacting one in eight teaching roles nationwide. Teacher shortages can lead to larger class sizes and less qualified educators.
To combat these shortages, Congress established funding through the Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development grant programs. These funds were allocated by the U.S. Department of Education to states' public universities and nonprofits for training, placement, retention, and developing new teacher pipelines.
The Department of Education's decision affects grants across Wisconsin and other states, with hundreds of millions terminated nationwide. In Wisconsin alone, over $3 million is at stake. This could impact schools relying on these programs for staffing and result in layoffs or reduced hours for university staff.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison had received a five-year TQP grant worth approximately $3.3 million in 2023 to establish a teacher residency program aimed at training special education teachers for Milwaukee Public Schools. With about 100 vacancies in special education positions, this program was crucial for Milwaukee Public Schools—the largest district in Wisconsin.
At termination time, ten individuals were serving as teacher residents while pursuing graduate coursework; eight more had been accepted into a second cohort with additional applications pending.
Attorney General Kaul joins his counterparts from California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, and New York in this legal action.
A copy of the lawsuit is available here.