U.S. Education Secretary Advocates for Major Department Overhaul

In a recent address from the White House briefing room, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon delivered a pointed message to the officials within her department. She emphasized the need to align with President Donald Trump’s directive: to “drain the swamp,” empower parents and states, and work towards dismantling what she described as a bloated federal education framework.

There’s a growing sentiment among Americans that the Department of Education has not met its responsibilities, especially as academic performance seems stagnant despite significant funding increases. Since 1970, inflation-adjusted funding per student has escalated from about $6,500 to an estimated $17,000 to $18,000 today. Federal investments in education have surged from almost nothing to tens of billions each year. However, long-term NAEP scores for 17-year-olds in reading and math have barely shown any improvement since the 1970s.

Currently, only around one-third of fourth and eighth graders meet proficiency in reading and math, with many urban districts reporting less than 20-25% of students at grade level. Critics argue the department has overreached, taking control over what was traditionally a state and local issue, resulting in costly bureaucracy and initiatives like No Child Left Behind and Common Core that, according to them, have done little to enhance educational outcomes.

In an opinion piece for USA TODAY, McMahon shared her perspective on the recent government shutdown, which lasted 43 days and overlapped with the academic semester. She pointed out that during this period, educational activities continued without disruption, underscoring the point that the federal education bureaucracy may be unnecessary. She stated, “The shutdown reinforced what conservatives have said for decades: The U.S. Department of Education mainly serves as a channel for funds better managed at the state level.”

On Thursday, McMahon also discussed the significant changes happening at the Department, including plans to move various programs to other federal agencies, and urged Congress to make these adjustments permanent. The Education Department is currently undergoing a major restructuring to fulfill Trump’s long-standing commitment to dissolve the agency.

She expressed, “I’m here to communicate directly with American families about our work in education aimed at reversing our national decline with a reset of the educational system.” This reset reflects a campaign promise from Trump to restore educational oversight to the states and curtail Washington’s involvement.

This push gained momentum after the government shutdown ended on November 12, which the administration has used to justify further cuts. McMahon reiterated the ambition to transfer many functions to other agencies, cut down federal bureaucracy, and return authority to states, although complete elimination still depends on congressional action.

In her remarks, she noted ongoing discussions with numerous Congress members to inform them about these transitions and to seek their support for codifying the changes into law.

The recent announcements include a historic transfer of over $31 billion in education funding to four other cabinet agencies—marking significant progress toward fulfilling Trump’s pledge to disband the Department of Education.

Transfer Details

This past Monday, six inter-agency agreements were signed to move day-to-day control of several important programs, including:

• Title I grants for low-income schools and most K-12 funding streams to the Department of Labor
• TRIO programs and numerous higher-education grants to the Department of Labor
• Office of Indian Education to the Department of the Interior
• Childcare support for student parents and oversight of foreign medical schools to Health and Human Services
• Fulbright and international education grants to the Department of State

McMahon characterized these moves as initial steps under existing law, but she made it clear that the ultimate goal is permanent legislation that could minimize the Department of Education’s responsibilities significantly. However, she acknowledged that to completely eliminate the department would require action from Congress.

Linda McMahon, who transitioned from WWE executive to education secretary, has been relentless in pursuing the Trump administration’s goal. In a staff meeting earlier in the fall, following considerable layoffs, she encouraged the remaining employees to work toward making the department obsolete.

Her recent “Return Education to the States” tour has focused on highlighting local charter networks and apprenticeship initiatives, advocating the idea that federal oversight coincided with a decline in student performance.

Yet, the future of essential offices, such as the Office for Civil Rights and Federal Student Aid, remains uncertain. There’s potential for moving disability services to other agencies like HHS. Federal education funding is guaranteed only through mid-January due to a recently passed continuing resolution.

Looking ahead, McMahon has committed to lobbying Republicans in the House and Senate to formalize these program transfers in the upcoming fiscal year budget. She appears determined to see through the changes initiated by President Trump, even if it leads to the dissolution of her own agency.

“The Trump Administration is taking decisive action to dismantle the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states,” McMahon asserted, stressing the need to cut through Washington’s regulatory complexities. “As we work with these agencies to enhance federal programs, we’ll also gather best practices from each state to ensure that federal spending supports a top-notch education system.”