President Donald Trump signed an executive order last Friday, taking the first steps to dismantle the U.S. Education Department. Impacts are already being felt here in New York and the Hudson Valley.

State Sen. Shelley Mayer, who chairs the State Senate Education Committee, is one of the most powerful advocates for schools in the state.

"I am deeply disturbed and distressed by President Trump’s reckless and unconstitutional executive order – one that once again oversteps his authority – to dismantle the United States Department of Education," she said. "This action will have severe and devastating consequences for children and young adults across the country."

Mayer said there have already been changes to several sources of funding to the state Education Department.

The senator said money to help schools purchase locally sourced food has stopped, federal dollars that were supposed to be paid out for pandemic relief to schools was delayed, and money for the New York State Library has been held up.

Mayer added that the state is being left in the dark about how money will flow under Title I, which supplements state and local funding, especially in high-poverty schools and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to help students with disabilities.

"These are real tangible things that will change both the expectation that we have a federal government that is in sync with our commitment to education and will actually result, I suspect, in the loss of real federal dollars," Mayer said.

A new report released by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office found women would have had to work an extra 53 days into 2024 to make what New York men made at the close of 2023.

The report, which analyzed the state's gender pay gap, found the issue still persists.

Women in New York working full time earned 87.3 cents on the dollar compared to men in 2023.

Still, New York has made more progress than the rest of the state. The gender pay gap in New York is smaller than the national average of 81 cents on the dollar in 2023.

"March is Women’s History Month and, unfortunately, the recent history shows that while a slight increase has been made in closing the gender pay gap, it’s not happening fast enough," DiNapoli said. "Policies to improve access to affordable childcare and paid leave can help narrow this gap, boost labor force participation, and improve the state’s economic health.”

Students may no longer have access to their cellphones during the school day if lawmakers hammer out the final details of a school cellphone ban in this year's state budget.

The ban is considered to be a priority issue for Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Teachers unions are among the biggest supporters of the ban, arguing that phones have created a distraction and lead to declining grades and worsening mental health for students.

Opponents include many parents who want to be able to stay connected with their kids during the day, especially in case of an emergency.