New Jersey joins lawsuit against Trump administration over teacher grant cuts

TRENTON — New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Thursday that the state is co-leading a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its decision to terminate U.S. Department of Education grants supporting teacher preparation programs.

New Jersey, alongside California and Massachusetts, is challenging the early termination of the grants, which are intended to address a nationwide teacher shortage, particularly in high-need areas and hard-to-staff subjects such as math and special education.

“The Teacher Quality Partnership grants provided by the U.S. Department of Education help ensure our teachers remain the best-in-the-nation,” New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement.

The lawsuit argues that the administration’s termination of approximately $600 million in funding for the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) and Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant programs is unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act.

In New Jersey, Montclair State University and The College of New Jersey were among the institutions affected, receiving abrupt notifications that their grants had been cut. The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction to prevent further disruptions to the programs.

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