Boston, Massachusetts - A federal judge this week temporarily blocked a bid by President Donald Trump's administration to cancel critical funding for K-12 teacher training.

US District Judge Myong Joun issued the temporary restraining order (TRO) after the Education Department last month terminated hundreds of millions of dollars in grants funded through the congressionally authorized Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development programs.

"The record shows that if I were to deny the TRO, dozens of programs upon which public schools, public universities, students, teachers, and faculty rely will be gutted," Joun wrote, siding with eight state attorneys general who filed the challenge.

The states had argued that the terminations were likely related to Trump administration efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Donald Trump Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claims Donald Trump lost 30 pounds despite the "crap that he eats"

The grants were to go toward teacher preparation programs in areas including math, science, and special education, and had been shown to increase faculty retention rates.

"This order is a victory for our students, teachers and school districts, restoring funds to programs designed to address the ongoing teacher shortage in the Commonwealth, including those serving vulnerable students with special needs," Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said in a statement.

"As our lawsuit proceeds, I will continue to stand with and advocate for our students, teachers, and school districts as they work to increase the number of high-quality educators in our state and ensure our children thrive."

Trump has vowed to dismantle the Education Department, which announced Tuesday it was slashing its staff numbers by almost half.