President Donald Trump will sign an executive action as early as Thursday, calling on Education Secretary Linda McMahon to go through all the proper steps to shut down the U.S. Department of Education. A draft of the action, reviewed by NPR, explains the administration’s rationale and approach for dismantling the federal agency.
Trump Administration Seeks to Shut Down Education Department
The shutdown of the Department of Education has been looming since February when the White House initially declared its plan. Yet, the administration waited until McMahon’s Senate confirmation to issue the action.
The Senate confirmed Linda McMahon as education secretary on Monday over the strong objection of Democrats. Legislators blasted her position after she publicly pledged to eliminate the department.
The proposed executive order directs McMahon to proceed “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law,” recognizing that the department was authorized by Congress and shielded by law. That is, its complete abolition would necessitate congressional approval, including bucking a probable Democratic filibuster.
The White House has yet to comment on requests.
Trump Defends Shutdown, Citing Inefficiency in Education Results
The administration contends that the Department of Education has not made students more successful despite spending more than $1 trillion since its creation in 1979.
“The experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars … has failed our children,” the draft order says.
Based on The Nation’s Report Card, which is a popular measurement of student attainment, reading scores have hardly budged since 1992. Math scores also greatly increased before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but since then, student attainment has incurred great losses. Achievement gaps linger nearly five years since the start of school shutdowns.
Federal money constitutes approximately 10% of public school budgets, with the majority of funds provided by states and local governments. Federal money mainly targets students in low-income neighborhoods, rural communities, and disabled children. Despite this, the Department of Education is prohibited by law from making curriculum decisions for schools.
Within hours of confirmation, McMahon emailed a message to Education Department workers, encouraging them to welcome the change.
“This is our moment to deliver one last, lasting public service to generations of students,” she said.
Early Reduction of the Department
The executive move follows deep cuts and personnel losses in the Education Department. In September, the Trump administration cut funding for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), which is responsible for education research and student performance data.
Programs researching how to speed up students’ math learning and transition services for students with disabilities were among those that were canceled.
Furthermore, the administration also fired dozens of newer staff members and put others on paid leave for their participation in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) efforts. Some of the impacted staff members had attended diversity training sessions during Trump’s first term.
At her Senate confirmation hearing, McMahon was queried whether she would enforce the executive order. She replied in the affirmative.
“We’d like to do this right,” McMahon told the committee. She pledged to present Congress with a plan to dismantle even the department’s core statutory functions in a way that lawmakers could support.
Concerns Over Impact on Funding for Vulnerable Students
Senators pressed McMahon on whether closing the department would affect funding for Title I schools (which serve low-income communities) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
McMahon explained that although the department would be abolished, the funding would still be there.
“It is not the president’s intention to defund the programs. It was only to have it run more efficiently,” she said.
She proposed that IDEA funding could be managed by another agency, such as the Department of Health and Human Services. But the fate of the department’s Office for Civil Rights is still in the air.
The Trump administration has already cautioned K-12 schools and colleges that they have to end DEIA programs or face loss of federal funding.
Can the Trump Administration Effectively Disassemble the Department?
House Republicans have previously tried to close down the Education Department but lost due to bipartisan opposition. Though the GOP presently has a slim majority in both houses, Republican lawmakers also approve key education spending programs.
The Education Department is one of the smallest federal departments, employing approximately 4,200 people. Employee salaries at the department represent just 0.31% of all federal salaries, according to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
A recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll indicated that 63% of Americans do not want the Department of Education abolished, with 37% favoring its elimination.
Despite strong congressional and public opposition, Trump’s attempt to close the department is fraught with legal and political challenges. Nonetheless, the administration continues to pursue its goal of lessening the federal role in education, devolving authority to states and local communities.
