In a significant move to fulfill a campaign pledge, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at dismantling the Department of Education. For decades, the agency has been targeted by Republicans advocating for its closure. The directive tasks Education Secretary Linda McMahon with implementing this strategy, urging her to maximize efforts โwhere appropriate and permitted by lawโ to facilitate the departmentโs closure and transfer educational authority back to the states and local communities.
While dismantling such a large federal agency is a challenging task that mandates congressional approval, the Trump administration has already begun shrinking the departmentโs footprint. Since President Trump took office, the departmentโs workforce has been cut by half, and multiple functions have been restructured. Under the guidance of advisor Elon Muskโs Department of Government Efficiency, a number of contracts termed โwokeโ and unnecessary have been terminated, and the Institute of Education Sciences, responsible for academic data collection, has been significantly reduced.
The Department of Education is pivotal primarily because it steers substantial financial resources, distributing billions in federal funds annually to schools and colleges while also managing the federal student loan portfolio. Ending the department would require redistributing its duties to other federal entities. It is also responsible for enforcing regulations concerning educational services, impacting groups such as students with disabilities, those from low-income backgrounds, and homeless youth.
Federal funding holds a central place in President Trumpโs educational agenda. He has pledged to cut financial support to institutions endorsing โcritical race theory, transgender issues, and other unsuitable racial or political content.โ In contrast, he aims to favor states and institutions promoting the termination of teacher tenure and championing universal school choice programs. While federal funds account for about 14% of public school budgets, they hold greater significance for colleges and universities, primarily through research grants and student financial aid.
Among the departmentโs critical roles is handling student loans and financial aid. It manages $1.5 trillion in student loan debt for over 40 million borrowers, oversees the Pell Grant for low-income students, and administers the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Under President Bidenโs administration, forgiving student loans became a trademark endeavor, although initial efforts were blocked by the Supreme Court. Nevertheless, through several adjustments, $175 billion in loans were forgiven for over 4.8 million borrowers, provoking criticism and legal challenges from Republican circles. Trumpโs stance on this issue remains vague, as he has yet to announce detailed plans.
The Education Departmentโs Office for Civil Rights also plays a pivotal role by investigating and setting guidelines for applying civil rights laws, particularly for LGBTQ+ students and students of color. Under Trump, the office has prioritized antisemitism complaints and scrutinized sports leagues allowing transgender athletes on womenโs teams. Trumpโs educational policy emphasizes pursuing civil rights cases against racial discrimination within schools but opposes diversity and equity policies, labeling them as discriminatory. His administration has also initiated investigations against colleges for alleged racial discrimination and aims to exclude transgender students from Title IX protections, affecting policies on gender identities.
Accreditation of higher education institutions falls under the purview of the Department of Education, which assesses federally recognized accrediting agencies. Accreditation is crucial for institutions to access federal student financial aid. In recent years, accreditation issues have raised conservative concerns, particularly when political involvements in Floridaโs public education were questioned. Trump intends to dismiss โradical left accreditorsโ and accept new accreditors fostering โAmerican traditionโ and eliminating โMarxistโ diversity administrators. While the education secretary can cut ties with accrediting agencies, such moves are rare and complex.
Regarding educational funding, significant portions for K-12 schools flow through federal programs like Title I supporting low-income schools and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. These programs aid services for students with disabilities, enhance teacher staffing, and support non-teaching roles. During his campaign, Trump advocated delegating these functions to the states, although he hasnโt provided clear plans on managing the core federal funding mechanisms.
An extensive proposal by the Heritage Foundation, titled Project 2025, outlines a far-reaching conservative national strategy, suggesting transferring oversight for programs benefiting low-income and disabled children first to the Department of Health and Human Services, with eventual plans to phase out the funding altogether, transforming it into unrestricted state grants.
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