President Trump signed an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the Department of Education, a significant step toward his campaign promise to eliminate the agency. The order instructs Mrs. McMahon to “facilitate the closure” of the department using “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”
Mr. Trump signed the order at a White House event attended by Republican governors and schoolchildren. He argued that despite the U.S. spending more money on education per pupil than any other country, American education is lagging behind global competitors. Mr. Trump stated that education should be returned to state control, calling it “a commonsense thing to do.”
Democrats and education advocacy groups strongly opposed the move. Sen. Christopher Murphy accused the president of attempting to dismantle the department “illegally” while education advocates warned the action could harm low-income and disabled children, lower educational standards and undermine civil rights protections in schools.
Republicans and conservatives supported the initiative, pointing to declining U.S. education outcomes compared to other countries. Recent international assessments show American students falling behind their global peers in math and science.
The Education Department, with approximately 4,500 employees, is one of the smallest Cabinet-level agencies. It distributes federal financial aid, collects education data and enforces nondiscrimination policies. The department accounts for less than 10% of public school funding and only 0.31% of the federal government’s total salary expenditure.
The dismantling process may include layoffs, hiring freezes, budget cuts, office closures, and transferring functions to other agencies. Some have proposed moving student loans to the Treasury Department, discrimination investigations to Justice and education data compilation to Labor.
Republicans have discussed abolishing the Education Department since its creation by President Carter in 1979. Ronald Reagan campaigned on eliminating it but couldn’t secure congressional support.
Mr. Trump’s order comes amid right-wing dissatisfaction with the department over student loan forgiveness, financial aid application problems and transgender athlete policies.
While an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found 63% of respondents “strongly oppose” closing the Education Department, the executive order has brought the idea into mainstream discussion. During Mr. Trump’s first term, he proposed deep budget cuts to the department rather than its elimination, but Congress rejected those cuts and increased its funding.
Read more: Trump takes major step towards shuttering Education Department
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