U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at eliminating the Department of Education, fulfilling a long-standing goal of conservatives to return control of schools to individual states.
At a White House ceremony, Trump, surrounded by schoolchildren, declared, “We’re going to shut it down and shut it down as quickly as possible. It’s doing us no good. We’re going to return education back to the states where it belongs.”
While Congress approval is required to formally abolish the department, the order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin the process by cutting staff and funding. McMahon, formerly CEO of WWE, said the goal is to “get those dollars back to the states without the bureaucracy of Washington.”
The order is part of Trump’s broader government overhaul, coordinated with tech billionaire Elon Musk and his Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has already worked to dismantle several federal agencies.
Democrats and education advocates slammed the move. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called it a “tyrannical power grab” and “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.”
Republican governors Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott attended the event, praising the decision.
Despite Trump’s plan, a smaller version of the department may remain to manage student loans and federal grants, especially for low-income students. Critics warn the shutdown could harm civil rights protections and education funding in disadvantaged communities.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that influenced the decision, celebrated the move, posting, “It’s a beautiful day to dismantle the Department of Education.”
