The White House is drafting an executive order aimed at eliminating the Department of Education, according to sources familiar with the plan.
While President Donald Trump cannot dissolve a federal agency without congressional approval, the move signals his administration’s commitment to shifting education policy away from federal oversight.
A Longstanding Campaign Promise
Trump has repeatedly pledged to shut down the Department of Education, calling for education decisions to be returned to state control. In a September 2023 campaign video, he vowed to close the department and redirect its responsibilities to individual states. He has argued that despite massive investments in public education, U.S. students continue to lag behind in global rankings.
Expanding School Choice Initiatives
Last week, Trump signed an executive order directing the Education Department to issue guidance on how states can expand school choice programs using federal funds. The initiative aligns with a broader Republican effort to increase funding for private and charter school options, particularly for low-income families.
Republican Support for Overhauling Federal Education Policy
Calls to either eliminate or overhaul the Department of Education have gained traction within the GOP. During the Republican primaries, Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley both advocated for dismantling the agency, reflecting a growing push among conservatives to reduce federal involvement in education.
Trump’s broader education agenda includes cutting federal funding for schools promoting certain curricula, launching civil rights investigations into discrimination against Asian American students, implementing new teacher certification standards emphasizing patriotic values, and removing officials he claims have politicized the department.
While the fate of the executive order depends on congressional approval, the proposal reinforces Trump’s commitment to reshaping the federal government’s role in education.
