Attorney General Weiser joins lawsuit against feds to save K-12 teacher preparation grants for Colorado rural schools

March 6, 2025 (DENVER) – Attorney General Phil Weiser today joined a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful termination of $600 million in grant funding for K-12 teacher preparation programs. Nearly $2.8 million in funding is at stake for a Colorado program that address the state’s ongoing teacher shortage in rural communities across the state.

To address a nationwide teacher shortage, Congress established and allocated funding for the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) and Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant programs to train teachers, create a new teacher pipeline, and improve teacher quality. The U.S. Department of Education subsequently awarded and obligated funds to states’ public universities and associated nonprofits under these programs.

Beginning on February 7, 2025, the Department of Education terminated, with immediate effect, grants awarded to K-12 teacher preparation programs in Colorado and nationwide. This includes a $6.5 million TQP grant that the University of Colorado Denver received for its Next Generation of Teacher Preparation program, also known as NxtGEN. The program partners with four rural community colleges and 57 rural school districts to locate, recruit, and prepare teachers from rural areas to graduate and stay in their communities. Approximately $2.8 million of the grant remains unspent and at risk.

The NxtGEN program has been very effective in addressing teacher shortages in Colorado. The program has graduated 19 teachers who are now teaching students in K-12 rural schools each year. Currently, there are 77 candidates in the pipeline preparing to be teachers in rural communities. The Department of Education’s unilateral termination will result in 21 jobs lost or reduced, an estimated 50 new teachers lost for rural school districts where there is a teacher shortage and threatens the end of the teaching preparation program partnership in the state.

“The Trump administration’s unlawful termination of critical teacher preparation grants will have devastating impacts on rural communities across the state. When schools are unable to find qualified teachers, students suffer. Teacher shortages can result in larger class sizes, canceled courses, or classes staffed with teachers less able to teach a subject,” said Attorney General Weiser. “We need to do everything we can to build a brighter future for our kids, and that is why I am fighting to stop the federal government from harming our rural schools.”

The attorneys general argue that the terminations, impacting institutions across the nation, which were issued without warning and with immediate effect, violate the Administrative Procedure Act. The attorneys general are seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent disruptions to these programs, which would immediately reduce the number of teachers and teacher trainees serving in schools.

Attorney General Weiser joins the attorneys general of California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Wisconsin in filing the lawsuit.

A copy of the lawsuit is available on our website (PDF download).

Colorado project partners impacted include the University of Colorado Denver; Trinidad State College, Trinidad and Valley Campuses; Otero College; Lamar Community College, Northeastern Junior College, and the following rural school districts:

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Media Contact:
Lawrence Pacheco
Chief Communications Officer
(720) 508-6553 office | (720) 245-4689 cell
lawrence.pacheco@coag.gov