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Donald Trump has ordered the shutdown of the Department of Education, fulfilling a goal he set for this year.
The President signed an executive order on Thursday directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin the process of shutting down the Department of Education, according to Vanity Fair.
This move aligns with Trump’s long-standing goal to reduce federal oversight in education and shift more control back to states and local communities.
While the executive order acknowledges that the President cannot unilaterally abolish the Department—since Congressional approval is required—it instructs Secretary McMahon to take all legally permissible steps toward its closure. This could involve redistributing certain functions to other government agencies and implementing significant cuts to staffing and programs.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt assured that essential services, such as student loans and Pell Grants, would continue during the transition. However, the specifics of how these services will be managed without a centralized Department are still unclear.
This executive order follows a series of significant cuts within the Department of Education. Beginning in early February, several officials were placed on leave as diversity, equity, and inclusion programs were eliminated.
The reductions continued with a 50% decrease in the workforce in March, part of an effort to “restore the greatness of the United States education system.”
Before these layoffs, the Department had offered up to $25,000 in cash incentives for voluntary resignations, signaling a strategic move to downsize the federal education bureaucracy.
President Trump’s criticism of the Department of Education is not new. In a December interview with Time magazine, he called for “a virtual closure of [the] Department of Education in Washington,” emphasizing his goal to return control of education to the states, according to PEOPLE.
He explained: “Well, you’re going to need some people just to make sure they’re teaching English in the schools. Okay, you know English and mathematics, let’s say. But we want to move education back to the states.”
The roots of this initiative can be traced back to Project 2025, a comprehensive manifesto from a Trump-aligned think tank that outlines plans to reduce federal involvement across various sectors, including education.
Although the President has publicly distanced himself from this document, the parallels between its recommendations and his recent actions are clear.
The appointment of Linda McMahon, co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment, as Education Secretary was a clear signal of this administration’s intentions. Upon her nomination, Trump praised her commitment to expanding school choice and empowering parents, saying: “We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort.”
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Her confirmation by the Senate on March 3, with a 51-45 vote along party lines, set the stage for the current restructuring efforts.
The move to dismantle the Department has sparked a fierce debate. Proponents argue that reducing federal oversight will lead to more localized and effective educational policies, better suited to the unique needs of individual states and communities, as reported by AP News.
Her confirmation by the Senate on March 3, with a 51-45 vote along party lines, set the stage for the current restructuring efforts.
The move to dismantle the Department has sparked a fierce debate. Proponents argue that reducing federal oversight will lead to more localized and effective educational policies, better suited to the unique needs of individual states and communities, as reported by AP News.
However, critics argue that this could worsen existing disparities, particularly for low-income and marginalized students who rely on federal support and protections.
The National Education Association (NEA), which represents millions of educators, has strongly opposed the move, expressing concerns that it could undermine public education and further widen the equity gap.
