Staff Reports
President Trump took bold action this week to start shutting down the federal Department of Education, calling it a disaster that wasted taxpayer money for decades. Standing with kids at a White House ceremony, Trump explained how the department created by Jimmy Carter in 1979 failed students despite spending trillions. “We’re not doing well with education in this country, and we haven’t for a long time,” Trump said. His order tells Education Secretary Linda McMahon to start closing the department and send power back to states.
The department was supposed to help schools but became a bloated bureaucracy. Trump pointed out that reading and math scores dropped even as spending skyrocketed. The government spent over $3 trillion on education since 1979, but 13-year-olds now have the worst test scores in decades. In some cities like Baltimore, high schools had zero students proficient in math. Trump said Washington bureaucrats cared more about pushing political agendas than teaching basics like reading and arithmetic.
Jimmy Carter made a big mistake creating this department. It started with 3,000 workers and grew to 17,000, wasting money on programs that didn’t help kids learn. Instead of focusing on real education, the department pushed divisive ideas about race and gender. Trump’s team found billions wasted on “progressive social experiments” instead of textbooks or teachers. The department became a tool for liberal activists, not a help to parents or students.
By closing the department, Trump is keeping his promise to put parents and local communities in charge of schools. States know their children’s needs better than distant Washington officials. Republican leaders praised the move, saying families should pick schools that teach traditional values without federal interference. “Education belongs to the people, not politicians,” said Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, who pledged to support legislation to fully abolish the department.
Teachers unions and liberal groups threw a fit, claiming the shutdown would hurt students. But Trump assured Americans that important programs like disability services and student loans will continue. The real goal is stopping the flow of taxpayer money to radical programs that confuse kids about their gender or push critical race theory. Schools should focus on history and science instead of political indoctrination, Trump said.
The department’s failure was clear during COVID lockdowns. Schools got $200 billion in extra funding but still let test scores plunge. Remote learning became a joke in many cities, with students falling years behind. Trump said throwing money at the problem didn’t work because Washington doesn’t understand real classrooms. Local teachers and principals, not federal bureaucrats, should decide how to run schools.
Some critics whined about losing “civil rights protections,” but Trump’s team says states will handle those issues fairly. The department’s Office for Civil Rights often punished schools for not following liberal policies instead of protecting students. By ending this federal overreach, schools can focus on safety and learning instead of paperwork and political correctness.
This historic move corrects 45 years of federal failures. Trump promised to finish the job Ronald Reagan started by cutting the department’s size and power. With states back in control, parents can demand schools teach skills kids need instead of woke ideologies. As Trump said, “We’re going to shut it down as quickly as possible” to make education great again.
