In a move that has ignited fierce debate across the political spectrum, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. The order, announced during a ceremony in the White House East Room, marks a significant step toward fulfilling a long-standing conservative goal of eliminating the federal agency and returning control of education to state and local governments. However, the decision has raised serious concerns about the future of public education, student loans, and federal grants, while leaving thousands of Department of Education employees in limbo.
Surrounded by schoolchildren seated at desks, Trump declared, “We’re going to shut it down, and shut it down as quickly as possible.” While the president’s rhetoric was bold, the practicalities of closing a cabinet-level agency are far more complex. Such a move would require congressional approval, which the Trump administration acknowledges it currently lacks. Instead, the executive order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take “all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the states.”
The order reflects Trump’s belief that decentralizing education will improve school performance. He cited poor test scores despite high per-student investment as evidence that the current system is failing. “I really believe that they’ll be as good as any of them,” Trump said, referencing schools in Europe and China. “And then you’ll have some laggards, and we’ll work with them. And we can all tell you who the laggards will be right now.”
Uncertainty for Employees and Key Programs
The announcement has left Department of Education employees reeling. Nearly half of the agency’s workforce has been put on notice for potential layoffs, with 1,300 staff members already terminated. Affected employees received an email on Wednesday evening instructing them to schedule a 30-minute window to collect personal belongings and return government-issued devices. They were told to bring their own boxes and tape, a directive that many described as dehumanizing.
One current employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called the order “a slap in the face and kicking us while we’re down.” Another told CNN, “This EO underscores that Linda McMahon, Donald Trump, and the rest of this administration remain ignorant about what our agency actually does and how their efforts to dismantle it will negatively affect kids and families throughout the country.”
Despite the sweeping nature of the order, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sought to reassure the public that key functions of the Department of Education, such as federal student loans and funding for at-risk students, would continue to be managed by the federal government. Trump echoed this sentiment, stating that critical responsibilities would be “redistributed to various other agencies and departments that will take very good care of them.”
However, the transition poses significant challenges. Education Secretary Linda McMahon is legally bound to uphold congressionally mandated functions, including federal student aid and grants for low-income schools. Finding alternative agencies to manage these programs has proven difficult. For example, Trump has previously suggested shifting oversight of the $1.8 trillion student loan program—40% of which is past due—to the Small Business Administration. Yet, no viable plan has been finalized, leaving millions of students and borrowers in a state of uncertainty.
Pushback from Educators and Unions
The executive order has drawn sharp criticism from educators, unions, and advocacy groups. Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association (NEA), condemned the move, accusing Trump of targeting public schools and the futures of 50 million students. “Donald Trump and his administration have aimed their wrecking ball at public education to pay for tax handouts for billionaires,” Pringle said. “If successful, this will hurt all students by sending class sizes soaring, cutting job training programs, making higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle-class families, taking away special education services for students with disabilities, and gutting student civil rights protections.”
Teachers’ unions have vowed to challenge the order in court, arguing that it violates federal laws governing education and civil rights. They also warn that dismantling the Department of Education could exacerbate existing inequalities in the education system, particularly for low-income and minority students who rely on federal funding and protections.
A Long-Standing Conservative Goal
The push to eliminate the Department of Education is not new. Since its establishment in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter, the agency has been a frequent target of conservative critics who argue that education should be managed at the state and local levels. Trump’s executive order represents the most significant effort to date to achieve this goal, but it also highlights the deep ideological divide over the role of the federal government in education.
Proponents of the order argue that returning control to the states will allow for more innovation and flexibility in addressing the unique needs of local communities. They also contend that the current system is bloated and inefficient, with too much bureaucracy stifling progress. “This is about giving power back to the people,” said one Trump supporter at the White House ceremony. “The federal government has no business telling us how to educate our children.”
Critics, however, warn that dismantling the Department of Education could lead to a patchwork of state policies, with some states investing heavily in education while others slash funding. They also point to the potential loss of federal oversight in areas such as civil rights, special education, and student loans, which could leave vulnerable populations at risk.
What’s Next?
The executive order is expected to face significant legal and political hurdles. While Trump has framed the move as a bold step toward reforming education, the reality is that dismantling a federal agency is a complex and time-consuming process. Even if the administration succeeds in reducing the Department of Education’s size and scope, key functions will likely remain under federal control, at least in the short term.
In the meantime, the order has left thousands of employees, students, and families in a state of uncertainty. For many, the decision represents not just a policy shift, but a fundamental reimagining of the federal government’s role in education. As the debate continues, one thing is clear: the future of education in America hangs in the balance.
Trump, however, remains undeterred. “I told Linda, ‘Linda, I hope you do a great job in putting yourself out of a job,’” he said earlier this year. “I want her to put herself out of a job—Education Department.” Whether that vision becomes reality remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the fight over the future of education in America is far from over.
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