🚨 Former President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order disbanding the U.S. Department of Education, making good on a campaign promise to eliminate what he calls a bureaucracy filled with “radicals, zealots, and Marxists.”
Trump’s Vision: Power to Parents, Not Bureaucracies
📢 A White House fact sheet outlines the administration’s rationale for dismantling the agency, stating that it will “return education to families instead of bureaucracies.”
📉 Trump and his supporters argue that the Department of Education has failed American students, pointing to declining test scores and controversial ideological curricula.
🔎 Harrison Fields, White House principal deputy press secretary, stated:
💬 “NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) scores reveal a national crisis—our children are falling behind. Over the past four years, Democrats have allowed millions of illegal minors into the country, straining school resources and diverting focus from American students.”
⚠️ “Coupled with the rise of anti-American CRT and DEI indoctrination, this is harming our most vulnerable,” Fields added.
New Leadership at the Department of Education
📅 The move comes just days after the Senate confirmed Linda McMahon, former CEO of WWE, as Secretary of Education on March 3.
📜 In a memo issued the same day, McMahon signaled her support for Trump’s plans:
💬 “The reality of our education system is stark, and the American people have elected President Trump to make significant changes in Washington. Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with eliminating bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education—a momentous final mission—quickly and responsibly.”
Union Backlash and Public Opposition
🚨 Teachers’ unions and education advocates strongly oppose Trump’s executive order, warning that it could dismantle key federal protections for students.
📊 A recent NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll found that over 60% of Americans “strongly oppose” eliminating the Department of Education.
🗣️ Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, issued a fiery statement:
💬 “The Department of Education exists to level the playing field and fill opportunity gaps so every child in America can succeed. Trying to abolish it sends a message that the president doesn’t care about opportunity for all kids—only for his friends’ and donors’ kids.”
Trump’s Education Reform Agenda
📉 Despite spending billions of dollars, student outcomes have remained stagnant. The White House cited 13 Baltimore high schools where no students tested proficient in math in 2023, blaming misallocated federal funds.
🚫 The administration also canceled $226 million in grants under the Comprehensive Centers Program, arguing they were used to promote “radical ideologies” like race-based discrimination and gender identity theory.
📢 Trump has long advocated for shifting education back to the states and expanding school choice.
💬 “I want every parent in America to be empowered to send their child to public, private, charter, or faith-based schools of their choice,” Trump said.
📌 “The time for universal school choice has come. As we return education to the states, I will use every power I have to give parents this right.”
Can Trump Actually Abolish the Department of Education?
⚖️ While Trump can issue an executive order, completely eliminating the Department of Education requires congressional approval.
🔢 Under Article II of the U.S. Constitution, such a measure would need 60 votes in the Senate—but there are currently only 53 Republican senators.
📜 However, some lawmakers are pushing for it.
🗳️ Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced a bill on January 31 to shut down the department by December 2026.
💬 “Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., should not be in charge of our children’s intellectual and moral development,” Massie said.
💬 “States and local communities are best positioned to shape curricula that meet the needs of their students. Schools should be accountable.”
Trump: “I Want Linda to Put Herself Out of a Job”
🎙️ Trump made it clear that he nominated McMahon to lead the department with the expectation that she would oversee its shutdown.
💬 “What I want to do is let the states run schools,” Trump told reporters on February 4.
💬 “I believe strongly in school choice. But in addition to that, I want the states to run schools, and I want Linda to put herself out of a job.”
📺 White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to this plan in a February 4 interview.
💬 “President Trump campaigned on that promise, and I think the American people can expect him to deliver on it.”
What’s Next for the Department of Education?
🏛️ While Democrats vow to fight the move, critics of the department argue that its focus has strayed from core education to ideological initiatives.
📊 The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” found that eighth-grade math scores remain stagnant, and reading scores dropped by two points in both fourth and eighth grades.
📢 Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos called for a “complete reset” in a February 5 op-ed, stating:
💬 “What was a D- is now an F. The Department of Education has focused more on diversity, equity, and inclusion mandates than the foundations of education. It’s time to shut it down.”
📜 Democrats in Congress have demanded answers about the agency’s future. In a February 5 letter to Acting Secretary of Education Denise Carter, they wrote:
💬 “We will not stand by and allow this to happen to the nation’s students, parents, borrowers, educators, and communities. Congress created the Department to ensure all students in America have equal access to high-quality education and civil rights protections—no matter their zip code.”
✅ Will Trump succeed in shutting down the Department of Education? Or will Congress block his efforts?
📢 Let us know what you think in the comments!