“Terrifying.” “Extremely worried.” That’s how teachers are describing the mood after President Donald Trump decided to dismantle the Department of Education. Now, educators across the country are bracing for overcrowded classrooms, shuttered programs, and an entire generation at risk of being left behind.

With schoolchildren behind him and a flick of his pen, Trump signed an executive order Thursday gutting the nearly five-decade-old Department of Education.

“It sounds strange, doesn’t it? Department of Education. We’re going to eliminate it,” he said. The order mandates Education Secretary Linda McMahon to dismantle the agency’s core functions.

“Hopefully, she will be our last secretary of education,” Trump added.

That decision—and the implications behind it—has left educators reeling. One teacher in a low-income Michigan district shared what their superintendent sent to staff: 

“These cuts will eventually lead to large class sizes, closures of schools, fewer staff at schools to support students, reduced levels of training for staff, reduced levels of STEAM programming for students, fewer students eating daily, less support for newly arrived students to the country, and reduced support for special needs students.”

The Trump administration insists Title I funds—which support low-income schools—will be protected and that civil rights enforcement and Pell Grants won’t be impacted, per NBC News.

But many aren’t buying it. Districts are already bracing for steep cuts to Title II and Title III, which fund teacher training and support for English language learners.

The White House also claims special education services will stay intact; teachers say otherwise.

“Extremely Worried...My students will lose things listed in their IEPs. If they need new equipment, they won’t be able to get it,” wrote a special-ed teacher. “They are given free breakfast and lunches while they are at school and these families rely on it.”

“Worried for the loss of the protections it provides for my students, who have moderate to severe intellectual disabilities and autism,” another shared. 

“Teachers are already struggling , and in particular those who teach SPED,” a former educator said. “The future for these kids is terrifying, and I feel like people are just looking the other way.”

“Kansas 8 years ago tried to set up a school voucher system to fund religious schools. They actively tried to ban Muslim and Jewish from participation.” another wrote. “It was a legal threat from the Department of Education that prevented it.”

“When parents have to pay more fees, when afterschool sports and activities have to be cancelled, when they have to start packing breakfast and lunch for their kids, when there is no guidance or mental health counselors, when their kid's IEP or 504 is ignored, when their kids are in classes with 40 students, when their kids get into a great school but there are no loans... parents are going to see how many services the DOE helps districts pay for,” one educator predicted. 

Trump’s decision to dismantle the Education Department is wildly unpopular. A recent poll shows 60% of registered voters oppose the move, including 98% of Democrats, according to Quinnipiac University findings.

A slew of civil rights and labor groups are condemning the decision, with NAACP President Derrick Johnson calling it “unconstitutional,” warning Trump “is deliberately dismantling the basic functions of our democracy.”

“This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education,” Johnson said. “Including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump. Don’t be fooled—Trump doesn’t have your back. He only cares about the billionaire class who will profit from the privatization of essential services.”

Despite opposition, Trump allies are wasting no time. 

“I agree with President Trump that the Department of Education has failed its mission. Since the Department can only be shut down with Congressional approval, I will support the President’s goals by submitting legislation to accomplish this as soon as possible,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.)  pledged.

But with Democrats holding enough Senate seats to block such legislation, the proposal is expected to face significant opposition.