Poster #100 - Students with Disabilities Under Neoliberal Education Agenda: The Fight for Democratic Restoration

• In Event: Friday Poster Reception

Abstract

On March 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order, seeking to dismantle the U.S. Education Department (ED). The proposed dismantling of the ED represents a profound threat to students with disabilities whose educational needs require consistent and equal support, federal funding, and legal protections. While the Trump administration declared the aim of this proposal is for state autonomy and efficiency improvement, this action reflects a broader neoliberal paradigm that marketizes education and public service at the expense of the most vulnerable groups. As a theory of political and economic practices, neoliberalism proposes that the best way to improve people’s welfare is to build institutions that protect private property and allow universal individual choices to apply their talents freely in competitive markets. Although this neoliberal ideology promises “efficiency,” it systematically disadvantages students who require extra support, especially students with disabilities. Drawing on David Harvey’s critique of neoliberalism and Karl Polanyi’s “double movement,” this paper employed critical policy analysis to answer the research question: How does the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle the U.S. Education Department embody Polanyi’s “double movement” theory, and what are the resulting risks for students with disabilities in the public school system? The initial finding is that the proposed elimination of the ED goes beyond mere bureaucratic reform; it is an alignment of market-driven neoliberal principles and the commodification of disabled students’ welfare under the double movement struggle. Potential solutions to this systemic attack include grassroots mobilization and the reverse of the neoliberal narrative to collective policy-making actions.

Author

• Xiao Liang, Stony Brook University
  Presenting Author