McMahon Reassures Parents on Special Education Funding
On Tuesday, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon shared a story highlighting her commitment to ongoing funding for children with special needs. Speaking at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., she stated, “Let’s get money to kids,” as her message resonated with the gathered audience.
McMahon was the keynote speaker at the American Principles Project Gala, where she received the Charlie Kirk Defender of the Family Award. Former Senator Kelly Loeffler was present as well, preparing to take over McMahon’s role at the Small Business Administration.
During a Q&A session, she stressed her goal of decentralizing education, advocating for putting control back into the hands of parents, teachers, and local education leaders. “President Trump believes, like I do, that the best education is the one that is closest to the child,” she explained.
The discussion turned to parents’ concerns about the potential negative impact of dismantling the Department of Education, particularly for students with special needs. McMahon recalled interactions with parents expressing worries about losing essential resources and support for their children.
She recounted a poignant moment with a concerned mother, asking her who truly understood her child’s needs best. “You who work with your child every day… Aren’t you your child’s best advocate?” McMahon responded. She reassured the mother that funding would remain available, regardless of departmental changes.
McMahon emphasized that funds would continue to flow through Congress, even if the Department of Education reorganized programs. “Don’t worry—the money is coming. We just facilitate getting it to where it’s needed, with less regulation,” she added.
Reflecting on last month’s government shutdown, McMahon indicated that it demonstrated a lack of necessity for federal oversight in schools. After the longest shutdown in U.S. history ended, she noted that federal involvement wasn’t critical for school operations.
She addressed common misconceptions about the Department of Education’s role, clarifying that they do not control curriculums or hire teachers. Their primary function is to direct federal funds to states. “There’s competitive bidding for grants, and ideally, if we could provide those funds as block grants to states, they’d know best how to allocate it,” she suggested, indicating a desire to streamline processes for efficiency.
