This Trump executive order sounds dramatic, but the Department of Education (DOE) can’tactually be dismantled without Congressional approval. The order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take steps to reduce the department’s influence and return power to the states, aligning with long-standing Republican priorities.
Key Points of the Order:
- Calls for shutting down the DOE while ensuring that essential programs like Title I funding for high-poverty schools, Pell Grants, and student loans continue.
- Bans remaining DOE funds from being used for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives or “gender ideology.”
- Cuts department staff in half (from 4,000 to about 2,000 employees) through layoffs and buyouts, as part of a broader federal workforce reduction led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
- Aims to make the department “much smaller,” but acknowledges it won’t be fully eliminated—at least not immediately.
Legal and Political Challenges:
- Only Congress can abolish the DOE, so Trump’s executive order doesn’t actually achieve that goal.
- Teachers’ unions and Democrats are preparing legal challenges.
- American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten responded: “See you in court.”
- Patty Murray (D-Wash.) called it a “wrecking ball” approach.
- Advocates for student loan borrowers warn it will cause confusion and hardship for students.
- Expands presidential authority: Trump’s efforts mirror his previous attempt to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which was blocked by a federal judge.
Trump’s Justification:
- Argues that the U.S. spends too much per student but ranks low in global education performance.
- Calls for a return to state control over education policy.
- Claimsfederal bureaucracy has failed to improve education outcomes.
While the move is largely symbolic for now, it signals Trump’s continued push to reshape federal governance—and could have long-term implications if Republicans gain more power in Congress.