Staff Reports
President Trump took a big step this week to get rid of the Department of Education. He signed an executive order directing his education secretary to start shutting down the agency. Trump said the federal government shouldn’t control schools and that states can do a better job. He called the department a waste of money that hasn’t helped students learn.
Secretary Linda McMahon will lead the effort to close the department. She’s already fired half the staff to save money. Trump said he wants McMahon to be the last education secretary in history. McMahon promised to follow Trump’s plan to move power away from Washington. She said this will let parents and local leaders decide what’s best for kids.
The president argued that American schools are failing despite spending more money than other countries. He said only 30% of eighth graders read well and blamed Washington rules for holding back progress. Trump believes states and parents—not bureaucrats—should choose how to teach children. His order says important programs like student loans will keep running while the department shuts down.
Democrats and unions are fighting the move. They sued to stop the layoffs, saying it’s illegal to fire workers who handle loans and protect students’ rights. Teachers’ groups claim closing the department will hurt poor families and disabled kids. But Trump says these programs will move to other agencies where they’ll work better without education bureaucrats.
The order doesn’t fully eliminate the department yet—Congress would need to vote for that. Many Republicans support ending the agency, but they don’t have enough votes in the Senate. Still, Trump’s team is pushing ahead. They’ve already canceled billions in contracts and plan to shift education jobs to other parts of the government.
Some worry this could cause chaos for schools and students. But Trump says it’s worth it to stop Washington from pushing liberal ideas like critical race theory. His order bans funding for diversity programs and vows to focus schools on reading, math, and American history instead. McMahon says teachers will benefit from fewer federal rules.
The White House argues this change will save taxpayer money and help kids learn. They point to charter schools as examples of local control working. Trump says parents—not government officials—should pick schools and decide what’s taught. His team believes this will fix education faster than keeping a broken department.
As the legal battles begin, Trump’s supporters cheer this move to shrink government. They see it as keeping his promise to put America first and cut wasteful spending. The administration says this is just the start of bringing common sense back to education—by trusting families instead of bureaucrats.
