President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, marking a major step toward fulfilling a key campaign promise and a long-held conservative goal.
Calling the agency’s record “breathtaking failures,” Trump vowed to return control and funding to individual states. “We’re going to shut it down as quickly as possible,” he said during a White House signing ceremony, where he was surrounded by children seated at school desks. However, the administration acknowledged that fully closing the department would require congressional approval.
The move has sparked immediate legal challenges, with opponents arguing that eliminating the agency would harm low-income students and disrupt federal student loan programs. The American Federation of Teachers condemned the decision, accusing Trump of using a “war on woke” as a pretext to dismantle educational support systems.
Linda McMahon, appointed by Trump to lead the department, will oversee the transition. In a memo to staff, she called it their “final mission” and urged employees to embrace the shift as a chance to reshape American education.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy has announced plans to introduce legislation to close the department, but with a slim 53-47 majority in the Senate, the proposal faces steep odds. Even if Congress blocks the closure, the administration is expected to significantly reduce funding and staff, following a strategy similar to its downsizing of USAID.
Critics warn that dismantling the department could disrupt student aid programs and widen educational disparities. Supporters, however, argue that education is best handled at the state and local levels.
As legal battles loom, the fate of the Department of Education remains uncertain, but Trump’s order signals a dramatic shift in federal education policy.
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