Concerns have emerged over President Donald Trump’s move to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education after signing an executive order on Thursday.
The order pushes forward a long-standing conservative goal of eliminating the agency, fulfilling a campaign promise to shift educational oversight back to states and local communities.
Trump has frequently criticized the Education Department as bloated and ideologically driven, but dismantling it entirely would require an act of Congress. While Republican lawmakers have vowed to introduce legislation to achieve that goal, Democrats have quickly mobilized in opposition.
The executive order directs the education secretary to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities,” within the limits of existing law. However, it provides no clear roadmap for implementation. The White House has stated that the agency will retain some essential functions.
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Trump clarified that while his administration will scale back the department beyond its “core necessities,” funding for Title I schools, Pell Grants, and programs for children with disabilities will remain intact. However, conflicting statements have emerged regarding federal student loans. While the White House initially indicated that the Education Department would continue managing student loans, the order suggests otherwise, stating that oversight of the department’s $1.6 trillion loan portfolio should be transferred to a different entity.
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At the signing ceremony, Trump blamed the department for declining academic performance and insisted that states would manage education more effectively.
“It’s doing us no good,” he said.
The administration has already taken steps to significantly reduce the agency’s workforce, cutting it in half and scaling back key offices, including the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which tracks academic progress.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated that she intends to remove bureaucratic barriers and grant states greater autonomy while ensuring an orderly transition. She indicated that her office will explore transferring some of the department’s responsibilities to other agencies, including moving civil rights oversight to the Department of Justice.
The decision to dismantle the agency has been applauded by conservative groups, such as the Heritage Foundation, according to AP’s report.
“For decades, the Department of Education has funneled billions into a failing system that prioritizes leftist indoctrination over academic excellence,” said Kevin Roberts, the foundation’s president.
Critics, however, warn that eliminating the department would disproportionately harm disadvantaged students.
“This is a dark day for millions of American children who rely on federal funding for a quality education, including those in the very communities that voted for Trump,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson.
Legal challenges are already being prepared, with advocacy groups like Democracy Forward and congressional Democrats calling the order a reckless power grab. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer labeled the move “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.”
Former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, who served under President George W. Bush, expressed skepticism about whether the department can still fulfill its remaining responsibilities effectively.
“Will this actually improve education, or will it become a bureaucratic mess that distracts from student achievement?” she asked.
Spellings emphasized that while schools have historically been run by states and local districts, the federal government has played a crucial role in ensuring equity and oversight, particularly in managing funding for programs that support vulnerable students.
Currently, the Education Department is responsible for administering student financial aid, grants for rural schools, technical education programs, and after-school initiatives. It also plays a key role in enforcing civil rights protections. The administration has not provided details on the future of these programs.
Republicans have long argued that the federal government should not dictate education policy, advocating for block grants that would allow states to spend federal education dollars as they see fit. However, critics fear that such an approach could jeopardize funding for essential programs, including Title I grants for low-income schools and protections for students with disabilities.
Although conservative calls to eliminate the department have gained momentum, even some of Trump’s allies question whether he has the authority to do so unilaterally. The House previously considered an amendment to close the department in 2023, but it was rejected, with 60 Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.
Despite his push to scale back the agency, Trump has also used its regulatory power to enforce elements of his political agenda, leveraging federal funding to influence policies on transgender athletes, campus activism, and diversity programs.
Sen. Patty Murray, a senior Democrat on the Senate Education Committee, argued that Trump’s actions contradict his stated goal of decentralizing education.
“He’s not giving power back to states—he’s trying to dictate what local schools can and cannot teach,” she said.
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