Trump to Sign Executive Order to Begin Dismantling Department of Education
The move aims to transfer education authority to states, but full abolition requires congressional approval and faces legal challenges.
- President Trump will sign an executive order on March 20, 2025, directing the closure of the Department of Education, fulfilling a key campaign promise.
- The order instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take steps to transfer education authority to states while ensuring uninterrupted delivery of statutory programs like Title I and IDEA.
- Legal experts and critics argue that fully abolishing the department requires congressional action, making its complete dismantling unlikely in the near term.
- The Department of Education has already undergone significant downsizing, with its workforce reduced by half through layoffs and buyouts in recent weeks.
- The executive order cites declining test scores and ideological focus as reasons for the department’s closure, aligning with long-standing Republican priorities to decentralize education policy.