A recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump has reignited debate around the role of federal oversight in American education. According to The Epoch Times, the move targets longstanding institutional structures and proposes a shift in authority.
While the full scope and consequences remain uncertain, early reactions suggest this development could reshape how education is managed across the country. The Department of Education, established in 1979, now faces unprecedented scrutiny.
Order Aims to Return Control of Education to the States
Flanked by newly sworn-in Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, Trump declared the Department of Education had “failed in its mission” and burdened schools with regulation and paperwork.
We’re going to shut it down and shut it down as quickly as possible – he said before signing the order.
We’re going to be returning education, very simply, back to the states where it belongs.
He further stated :
My administration will take all lawful steps to shut down the Department of Education. We’re going to shut it down and shut it down as quickly as possible. It’s doing us no good.
The order follows Trump’s broader Department of Government Efficiency campaign aimed at scaling down federal agencies. “Send education back to the states” has been a consistent talking point for the administration.
Historical Context and Legislative Barriers
Created in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter, the Department of Education was designed to enhance access to education for underprivileged children.
Two years later, President Ronald Reagan attempted to eliminate the Department of Education, arguing education should be administered by states and local communities. Lacking sufficient Congressional support, the effort was unsuccessful.
Today, the political landscape remains divided. Although Republicans currently hold a 53–47 majority in the Senate, dismantling a federal department like the Department of Education would require 60 votes—an unlikely outcome given unified Democratic opposition.
Congressman Maxwell Frost commented,
The reality is that the Trump administration does not have the constitutional power to eliminate the Department of Education without the approval of Congress – however, what they will do is defund and destabilize the agency to manufacture chaos and push their extremist agenda.
Criticism of Performance and Use of Funds
Trump cited international metrics as justification for eliminating the Department of Education, stating that the U.S.
Spends more money than most other countries on education, yet its maths performance ranks among the lowest and has been declining for decades.
According to OECD data from 2022, the United States ranked 28th out of 37 member countries in mathematics. The president criticized the Department of Education as a
Statistics-gathering agency that disseminates information to the states.
The order also targets diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the Department of Education, which Trump has accused of “indoctrinating students” through racial, sexual, and political curriculum components.
Major Staff Reductions and Restructuring
On March 11, Secretary McMahon issued a press release announcing a 50 percent reduction in the Department of Education workforce—from 4,133 employees to 2,183. This followed similar restructuring efforts at USAID, where 50,000 positions were reportedly eliminated the previous month.
Although a complete dismantling of the Department of Education is legally improbable without Congressional approval, ongoing internal cuts suggest a broader strategy aimed at limiting its operational capacity.
National Reactions and Legal Pushback
Reaction has been polarized. Several Republican-led states expressed support, seeing the move as a restoration of state-level control. On the other hand, teachers’ unions, education advocates, and student organizations have strongly opposed the dismantling of the Department of Education.
Becky Pringle, President of the National Education Association, issued a statement warning :
If successful, Trump’s continued actions 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.
Legal action appears imminent. Student unions are preparing lawsuits, arguing that the executive order targeting the Department of Education infringes on federal responsibilities.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also voiced concern :
Shutting down the Department of Education will harm millions of children in our nation’s public schools, their families and hardworking teachers. Class sizes will soar, educators will be fired, special education programs will be cut and college will get even more expensive.
