Trump’s Bold Move: Shifting Education Control from Federal to State Hands

Man holding signed document with three visible flags

President Trump signs executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, returning educational control to states while facing significant legal and congressional hurdles ahead.

Quick Takes

Trump’s executive order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to facilitate the department’s closure and return education authority to states.
The department cannot be immediately eliminated as congressional approval is required for full dissolution.
Key programs like Pell grants, Title I funding, and resources for children with disabilities will be preserved and redistributed to other agencies.
Critics cite concerns about civil rights enforcement and disruption to the $1.6 trillion federal student loan system.
Department staffing has already been reduced by nearly half since Trump took office.

A Promise Fulfilled: Trump Takes Aim at Federal Education Control

In a move that fulfills a long-standing Republican goal, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at dismantling the Department of Education, setting in motion a process to return educational authority to state and local governments. The directive tasks Education Secretary Linda McMahon with overseeing the department’s gradual closure while ensuring that essential services continue uninterrupted. The department, created during Jimmy Carter’s administration in 1979, has been targeted by conservatives for decades who argue that education decisions should be made at the local level.

During the signing ceremony, Trump addressed Secretary McMahon directly about the significance of the task ahead. “Linda, you’re going to be presiding over something that’s so important,” Trump said, emphasizing the historic nature of this policy shift. While the executive order begins the process, complete elimination requires congressional approval, meaning the department won’t disappear immediately. The order instructs McMahon to develop a plan for transferring necessary functions to other federal agencies while returning primary educational authority to states.

#Liberal #Meltdown : #PresidentTrump signs #executiveorder dismantling the #DeptofEducation at the Federal level, bringing it back to the State level. The #DOE clearly hasn’t worked. Despite a 600% spending increase, #reading and #math #competency scores have been going down. pic.twitter.com/QP9wpZ8nPX

— Sn00pdad (@sn00pdad) March 20, 2025

The Case Against Federal Education Control

The White House has sharply criticized the Department of Education’s effectiveness, pointing to over $3 trillion spent since 1979 with minimal improvement in student achievement. Official statistics cited by the administration reveal troubling educational outcomes: only 36% of fourth-graders are proficient in reading, and a mere 26% are proficient in mathematics. American students rank 25th internationally in science, 31st in math, and 15th in reading, despite the United States spending more per student than almost any other developed nation.

Trump has assured that “useful functions” like Pell grants will remain intact, with responsibilities transferred to other agencies. Federal Pell grants and important funding initiatives for K-12 education, including Title I funds supporting disadvantaged students and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) resources, will be preserved but redistributed. Trump argues that returning control to states will improve education quality, pointing to successful models in countries like Denmark, Norway, and Finland.

Challenges and Opposition Ahead

The path to fully dissolving the Education Department faces significant obstacles. Despite Republican control of both chambers of Congress, the margins are slim, making legislative approval challenging. Democrats, teachers unions, and progressive groups are already preparing legal challenges against the executive order. The department currently employs over 2,000 staff (down from more than 4,000 when Trump took office) and manages a massive $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio, along with billions in annual funding for K-12 schools.

Several proposals are being considered for reorganizing the department’s functions. Civil rights enforcement may be transferred to the Department of Justice, while student loans could move to the Treasury Department. Some Republican proposals suggest converting federal education funding into block grants with fewer conditions attached, potentially allowing Title I funding to be used for private schools. Education advocates warn this restructuring could affect civil rights protections and disrupt critical services for millions of students across the nation.

The Road Ahead for American Education

As the administration works to implement this significant policy shift, the future of federal involvement in education remains uncertain. The department’s $268 billion budget represents approximately 4% of the total U.S. federal budget, funding programs that serve millions of students. The proposed decentralization aims to empower states to develop educational approaches that reflect local values and priorities. While supporters see the move as a return to constitutional principles of federalism, critics fear it could weaken national educational standards and civil rights protections.

The Education Department has faced similar threats before, including calls for its elimination by former President Ronald Reagan and attempts to merge it with the Labor Department during Trump’s first term. However, this executive order represents the most determined effort yet to fulfill a long-standing conservative objective. As the legal and legislative battles unfold, the ultimate fate of the Department of Education remains to be seen, with profound implications for American education policy for generations to come.