Random

    Education

    Home Education

    Trump Signs Executive Order Dismantling Dept. of Education

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0

    President Trump signed an executive order Thursday seeking to facilitate his longstanding goal of eliminating the Department of Education.

    While the order recognizes it would take an act of Congress to completely shutter the department, Trump directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to do all she can to achieve its end.  

    “Today, we take a very historic action that was 45 years in the making,” he said at a signing ceremony at the East Room of the White House that included multiple school-age children sitting at classroom desks. “I will sign an executive order to begin eliminating the federal Department of Education.” 

    “The department’s useful functions […] will be preserved, fully preserved,” Trump added, referring to Pell Grants, Title I funding and programs for students with disabilities. “They’re going to be preserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments.” 

    “But beyond these core necessities, my administration will take all lawful steps to shut down the department. We’re going to shut it down and shut it down as quickly as possible,” he added at the ceremony, which was attended by Republican lawmakers and governors including Rep. Virginia Foxx (N.C.), Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

    The White House said earlier Thursday the Education Department will still keep its critical functions that are mandated by Congress.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Report: Trump To Sign Order To Shutter Dept. Of Education

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3
    President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Monday, February 10, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House photo by Abe McNatt)

    An administration official told NewsNation White House correspondent Libbey Dean that Trump will sign an executive order Thursday afternoon that directs McMahon to begin dissolving the Education Department

    The executive order, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, has been in the works since before Trump was sworn into office in January.

    The draft of the order recognizes that the president does not have the authority to abolish the department and that it would likely take 60 votes in the Senate, where Republicans hold only 53 seats, The Washington Post reported.

    But it directs McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department” based on “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law,” according to the Journal.

    “The experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars—and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support — has failed our children, our teachers, and our families,” the draft order reportedly reads.

    The official White House schedule was updated Thursday morning with Trump signing unspecified executive orders at 2 p.m. EST.

    The Post also noted that the draft was labeled “pre-decisional,” citing a personal familiar with the matter who cautioned that its details could change before it is final.

    McMahon was confirmed Monday to lead the Education Department. That evening, she foreshadowed the executive order in a letter in which she described her goal of making education a matter for the states.

    “My vision is aligned with the President’s: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children,” she wrote. “As a mother and grandmother, I know there is nobody more qualified than a parent to make educational decisions for their children.”

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    © Great America News Desk 2022