President Donald Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE), marking a historic shift in federal education policy that returns control to states and local communities.
Key Insights
- Trump’s executive order aims to close the Department of Education after 46 years of operation, fulfilling a long-standing Republican goal.
- The Department has spent over $3 trillion since 1979 with minimal improvement in student achievement according to the White House.
- Critical functions including Title I funding, Pell grants, student loan management, and civil rights enforcement will remain under federal oversight.
- Complete dismantling requires congressional approval as the department was created by Congress in 1979.
- The administration has already begun reducing the department’s workforce by approximately 50 percent.
Trump Takes Aim at Federal Education Control
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, initiating a significant shift in education governance across the United States. The order represents the fulfillment of a campaign promise and marks a departure from nearly half a century of federal education policy. The White House announcement emphasized that the Department, established in 1979, has become an entrenched bureaucracy that consumes resources without directly educating students or improving educational outcomes nationally.
According to the executive order, Education Secretary Linda McMahon is directed to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.” This directive aligns with conservative principles advocating for decreased federal involvement in education policy. The administration cited poor national education statistics as justification, highlighting low proficiency rates in math among fourth and eighth graders despite decades of federal oversight.
Preserving Essential Functions While Reducing Federal Footprint
Despite the ambitious scope of the order, the administration clarified that certain critical functions of the Department would be maintained. These include Title I funding for low-income schools, Pell grants for college students, funding for children with disabilities, and civil rights enforcement mechanisms. The reorganization aims to preserve these essential services while eliminating what the administration characterizes as unnecessary bureaucracy and federal overreach in educational matters.
The White House stated that the Department of Education has overseen more than $3 trillion in expenditures since its creation, yet student achievement metrics have shown limited improvement during this period. The administration has already begun reducing the department’s workforce and cutting funding to certain offices as part of the transition. Secretary McMahon expressed her commitment to removing red tape while ensuring a lawful transition of educational authority to state and local entities.
Legal Challenges and Congressional Hurdles
The executive order faces significant legal and legislative obstacles. Complete dismantling of the Department requires congressional approval, as it was established through legislative action in 1979. Political opposition has already emerged, with critics characterizing the move as an overreach of executive authority. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the order a “tyrannical power grab” and “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.”
The executive order represents a cornerstone of Trump’s broader education reform agenda. Federal funding currently constitutes approximately 14% of public school budgets nationwide, often targeting support for vulnerable student populations. Parents Defending Education and other organizations supportive of state and local control over education policy have expressed approval of the administration’s actions, citing the need for decisions to be made closer to the students and families they affect.
A New Era for American Education?
The executive order specifies that federal education funds must comply with existing laws and policies while avoiding programs labeled as “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or those promoting gender ideology in schools. This represents a significant policy shift aligning with conservative educational priorities. The administration has emphasized that the move is intended to empower parents, states, and local communities to improve educational outcomes through reduced federal interference.
While supporters view the dismantling as a necessary step toward educational improvement and local control, skeptics question both the legality and political viability of eliminating a cabinet-level department without congressional approval.
Sources:
- Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities
- Trump orders a plan to dismantle the Education Department while keeping some core functions
- Trump signs executive order to dismantle Department of Education
- Trump Signs Order To Dismantle Education Department ‘As Quickly As Possible’
