Trump Takes Action to Close the Education Department

In keeping with a major campaign pledge, President Donald Trump is scheduled to sign an executive order on Thursday that calls for the dissolution of the U.S. Department of Education. The action was confirmed by a White House official as part of larger initiatives to reorganize the federal government and give states more control over education.

A Conservative Long-Term Objective

The Education Department has come under fire from Trump for being ideologically motivated and wasteful. But since the agency was created by Congress in 1979, eliminating it would need their consent.

The directive will instruct Education Secretary Linda McMahon "to take all necessary procedures" to dissolve the agency while guaranteeing the continuous provision of vital education programs and benefits, according to a White House information sheet.

Workforce Reductions and Cuts

The agency's staff has already been slashed in half, and the administration has also reduced money for the Institute of Education Sciences, which monitors academic success across the country, and the Office for Civil Rights.

Advocates for public schools caution that doing away with the department would make educational inequity worse. "This is not reforming education—it is ensuring that millions of youngsters never receive a fair opportunity," said the National Parents Union. And we will not allow it to occur without a struggle.

Programs' Uncertain Future

The White House has not specified which functions could be removed or transferred to other agencies. McMahon promised to continue essential programs like Pell Grants for college students and Title I financing for low-income schools at her confirmation hearing.

The Education Department gives schools billions of dollars in financing and manages $1.6 trillion in federal student loans. Managing student aid and upholding civil rights safeguards in education make up a large portion of its duties.

Federal financing supports important programs for vulnerable students, such as Title I assistance for low-income schools and homeless support efforts, even though it only makes up around 14% of public school budgets. However, government research grants and financial aid are a major source of funding for colleges and universities.

A Conservative Favorite Action

Republicans claim that the Education Department wastes taxpayer dollars and places needless federal monitoring on schools, which is why they have long wanted to abolish it. As conservative parent organizations want more authority over educational programs, the concept has recently gained popularity.

Trump promised to dismantle the department and give the states back control of it in his platform. According to his portrayal, it is a bastion of "radicals, zealots, and Marxists" who use rules and directives to unduly influence instruction.

The executive order is an important first step, but completing the department's shutdown is still a difficult and contentious task.