Has Trump explicitly said teachers are not professionals, and when did he say it?

1. What the sources actually document: policy changes, not a single blunt quote

The articles in the results focus on actions by the Trump administration — such as redefining which degrees count as “professional” under new loan rules and moving Education Department functions to other agencies — and on reactions from educators and unions who say those actions undermine professions including teachers and nurses. For instance, several outlets report that nursing and certain education degrees were excluded from the administration’s new list of “professional” degrees, affecting loan eligibility and prompting outraged statements from professional associations ^{[1] [2] [5]}. Coverage of the administration’s plan to restructure or dismantle the Education Department documents broad union opposition and warnings of harm to educators ^{[6] [4] [7]}.

2. Where opponents say the administration is treating educators like non‑professionals

Teacher unions and education advocates frame the policy changes as evidence the administration does not value teachers or related professions. The American Federation of Teachers’ president, Randi Weingarten, called the moves “walking away from the future of the country” and warned that spreading services across agencies will create confusion and barriers for people trying to access support ^{[8] [7]}. Early‑education experts told PBS that cutting loan eligibility could “turn people away from the profession altogether,” a practical effect unions highlight as devaluing teachers ^[3].

3. What the sources do not show: a direct, widely reported quote from Trump saying “teachers are not professionals”

In the provided search results there is no cited instance of Trump himself saying the explicit phrase that “teachers are not professionals,” nor an equivalent direct quote by the president in these articles (available sources do not mention a direct quote by Trump saying teachers are not professionals). Instead, reporting centers on administrative policy and officials’ statements, and on union and sector reactions ^{[1] [6] [4]}.

4. Two ways the claim might arise — policy language vs. rhetorical statements

The impression that “Trump said teachers aren’t professionals” could come from (a) policy outcomes that remove certain education degrees from a regulatory “professional” category — which critics argue treats those careers as less deserving of support — or (b) political rhetoric or paraphrasing by commentators and critics. The materials here document the first pathway: regulatory and budgetary decisions that change professional‑degree classifications and reduce departmental support, provoking claims by unions and commentators that the administration is attacking teachers ^{[2] [1] [4]}.

5. Conflicting viewpoints in the reporting

Pro‑administration voices frame the actions as “right‑sizing” government and returning power to states; for example, Republican critics say the department is bureaucratic waste and that moving functions will improve outcomes ^{[7] [9]}. Opponents — teacher unions, professional associations, and many education reporters — contend the moves will harm students and demoralize educators, describing the plan as an “abdication” that risks undermining public schools ^{[4] [6] [8]}.

6. How to verify the precise quote if it exists beyond these sources

To confirm whether Trump ever used the precise language “teachers are not professionals,” check primary sources not in this set: official White House transcripts, press‑conference video or transcripts, social‑media posts from the president, or fact‑checks and direct interview coverage that record verbatim quotes. The documents and articles provided here do not include such a verbatim quote (available sources do not mention a direct quote).

7. Bottom line for readers

The available reporting documents policy decisions and attendant political rhetoric that critics interpret as devaluing teachers — but it does not provide evidence that Trump explicitly uttered the specific phrase “teachers are not professionals.” Disagreement in the sources is over policy impact and intent: administration officials present reorganization and cost‑cutting as reform, while unions and education groups say the changes amount to an attack on teachers’ status and supports ^{[6] [4] [7] [3]}.