Overview
- In a USA Today op-ed, Education Secretary Linda McMahon argued that uninterrupted school routines during the 43-day shutdown showed the federal department is largely unnecessary.
- McMahon said ending the agency would not end federal support, noting that funding for low-income and disabled students and civil-rights protections would continue under law.
- The White House has ordered the department to be wound down to the maximum extent allowed, and reporting says operations and staffing have been cut by nearly half with programs consolidated.
- A Yes Every Kid Foundation poll found support for closing the department rose from 38% to 56% after respondents heard details about preserving funding and shifting functions, reaching 59% with more specifics; the Oct. 22–23 survey of 1,500 voters has a ±2.5-point margin of error and is backed by the Koch network.
- Opponents, including the National Education Association, warn dissolution would be catastrophic for civil-rights enforcement and services for vulnerable students, pointing to planned pauses of investigations during the shutdown.