'' Trump's New Federal Cleanout Target: The Education Department ''
barrons.com/articles/trump-s-new-federal-cleanout-target-the-education-department-74b2ed94
February 10, 2025
Democratic politicians, teachers' unions, and many parents are in an uproar, calling US President Donald Trump's plan to shut down the Department of Education as an assault on public education (Chris DELMAS)
President Donald Trump has taken a wrecking ball to Washington – and his latest target is the US Department of Education.
Trump has described it as ineffective, wasteful, and dominated by radical leftists, and in an interview airing Sunday told Fox News he would order Elon Musk, the man leading his cost-cutting efforts, to turn his sights next on the Education Department.
Underscoring his intention, the Republican president had earlier directed Linda McMahon, his education secretary nominee, to "put herself out of a job."
Democratic politicians, teachers' unions, and many parents are in an uproar, calling Trump's plan to shut down the agency an assault on public education.
Conservative groups, on the other hand, hail it as a long-overdue measure to reassert local control over American classrooms. But they acknowledge that the task of winding down the vast department will not be easy.
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, the country's largest labor union, said closing down the Education Department would be devastating for students with disabilities, low-income students and other children at risk.
"If it became a reality, Trump's power grab would steal resources for our most vulnerable students… and gut student civil rights protections," Pringle said, adding that the union will oppose the plan.
Gutting the Education Department is part of a broader effort by Trump and his tech billionaire advisor Musk to radically trim the US federal government.
The US Department of Education is in the sights of President Donald Trump, who has signalled his intention to abolish the sprawling agency Photo: Kayla Bartkowski
The administration has already attempted to close down the US humanitarian agency and to put thousands of federal workers on leave. It has also offered buyouts to tens of thousands – efforts that sent shock waves around Washington and that are now being challenged in courts.