This controversial and unprecedented act is expected to see Donald Trump signing an executive order, abolishing the U.S. Department of Education. This move marks years of conservative work for decentralized education federal authority and returned trump for states.
As per the plan, which sources close to it said would be announced as early as today, Education Secretary Linda McMahon will be instructed in an executive order to start the process of eliminating the department with a transition that will not disrupt current programs.
In general, it covers a wide range of federal education programs, such as student loans, grants, and money for special education, in its activities since its establishment in 1979. Now, many opponents cried out that closing it up will hamper and affect millions of students because many have depended on these programs.
Trump has long spoken out against the federal government meddling in education, which, he thinks, should be entirely placed in the hands of local and state governments concerning curriculum and policy. Advocates of the measure argue that it will cut the bureaucracy, make the government efficient, and ultimately develop more tailored educational strategies. “NAEP scores should tell you our students are falling behind,” a White House official said. “Bringing education back to the states will make it better and empower the parents.
However, opponents warn that the elimination of the department would leave chaos and inequity, particularly for poor and minority students who depend on federal protections. Some education advocacy groups, as well as Democratic lawmakers, have already threatened to decide on court.
The National Education Association (NEA) criticized the decision in a statement, saying it will “leave millions of students vulnerable and reverse decades of progress in public education.”One of the biggest issues will be figuring out how to handle the shift in federal student loans, which are currently run by the department.
The department is responsible for over $1.6 trillion of federal student debt, and it won’t be clear how those programs are going to be run if the department goes away. While Trump’s executive order indicates an interest in shuttering the department, it will take an act of Congress to get there. The Senate will need 60 votes to pass any legislation that officially closes that—likely a tall order for such a divided Congress.
For the country looking on, the action is an inflection point in the debate on the federal government’s role in public education. It will undoubtedly bring on a brisk legal and political fight whether or not the department continues to exist.
