Trump executive order moves to shrink US Department of Education

In a bold move that signals a significant shift in US education policy, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that will drastically reduce the size and influence of the US Department of Education. While the order does not fully dissolve the agency, it will significantly scale back its operations and responsibilities, shifting some of those responsibilities to the states.

The order, signed in the White House East Room surrounded by students sitting at desks, directs that core services, like student loans, continue uninterrupted, but any program or activity receiving Department Education funds would not be allowed to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion or “gender ideology.”

The day marks yet another moment in a broader effort to scale back what the Trump administration considers overreaching governmental agencies with bloated bureaucracy.

“Since 1979, the U.S. Department of Education has spent over $3 trillion with virtually nothing to show for it,” a statement from the White House read. “Despite per-pupil spending having increased by more than 245% over that period, there has been virtually no measurable improvement in student achievement.”

“north carolina is more than capable”

In a statement following the announcement, Donald Bryson, president and CEO of the John Locke Foundation, praised the order, framing it as a crucial move to shift educational authority back to state and local control.

“Today’s executive order from President Trump signifies a deliberate attempt to restore educational authority to the states and eliminate a federal bureaucracy that has long burdened local school systems with costly and unnecessary mandates,” Bryson remarked.

Bryson emphasized that education, at its core, should be a state and local responsibility, and that shifting power back to the states allows for creating more tailored, accountable education systems that meet local needs.

“North Carolina is more than capable of determining how best to educate its students without interference from Washington,” he added.

According to Bryson, the US Department of Education has imposed excessive regulations and compliance costs on states, often outweighing the federal funds they receive. He argued that removing this bureaucratic layer will allow for greater flexibility and innovation in education policy.

“Shuttering the Department of Education would not mean all federal education funding would end,” Bryson clarified. “The most effective way to continue supporting education while respecting state sovereignty is to block grant federal education funds directly to states. A block-grant system provides state and local leaders the greatest flexibility to address their unique needs — without requiring a federal agency to micromanage how those dollars are spent.”

Though Trump’s executive order represents a significant step, it does not immediately close the Department of Education. Congress must take legislative action to finalize the department’s closure.

“Until then, this remains an ongoing effort to return power to the states and put students first,” said Bryson.

“The Democrats know it’s right, and I hope they’re going to be voting for it because ultimately it may come before them,” Trump said Thursday.

DEPARTMENT OF EDucation REDUCES STAFF BY HALF

The lead-up to the executive order drew questions from White House media, as Washington grappled with the growing list of layoffs across the federal government. Since January, the Department of Education has reduced its staff by half, or about 2,000 employees.

“The Department of Education will be much smaller than it is today. As you know, the president’s executive order directed Linda McMahon to greatly minimize the agency. So, when it comes to student loans and Pell Grants, those will still be run out of the Department of Education,” White House press secretary Karolina Levitt told media Thursday. “The great responsibility of educating our nation’s students will return to the states. Any critical functions of the department will remain.”

Critics of the plan, however, worry that reducing the department’s capacity could undermine efforts to ensure educational equity, enforce civil rights protections, and support underserved communities. The department has long been responsible for overseeing national education standards, distributing financial aid, and promoting policies that promote educational equity across racial, gender, and disability lines.

The head of the American Federation of Teachers has threatened legal action.

“Education is our kids’ future. Education is our country’s future. Mr. President, we will see you in court,” Randi Weingarten of AFT posted on social media.

history of the US department of education

The US Department of Education was established by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 and has grown substantially over the past four decades, evolving into one of the most influential federal agencies in the nation. The department was initially intended to consolidate various education-related functions that were previously scattered across different federal agencies.

In its early years, the Department of Education had a relatively modest budget of around $12 billion and employed a small number of staff. However, the department’s annual budget now exceeds $268 billion, funding a wide range of policy initiatives and mandates, including Pell Grants, Title I programs, Title IX enforcement policy, special education services, and financial aid for higher education.

The White House pointed out on Thursday that after more than 50 years, the agency has not achieved its intended goal of improving education from the top down:

• Math and reading scores for 13-year-olds are at the lowest level in decades.
• Six-in-10 fourth graders and nearly three-quarters of eighth graders are not proficient in math.
• Seven-in-10 fourth and eighth graders are not proficient in reading, while 40% of fourth grade students don’t even meet basic reading levels.
• Standardized test scores have remained flat for decades.
• US students rank 28 out of 37 OECD member countries in math.

“As soon as President Trump signs this executive order directing the end of the federal Department of Education, and later signs the Educational Choice for Children Act into law, he will have both brought down a failed bureaucratic machine in DC, and brought school choice to every state,” said Tommy Schultz, CEO of American Federation for Children, in response.

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