Trump Takes Bold Step Toward Shutting Down the Department of Education with New Executive Order
In a striking move, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that sets the stage for the eventual dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, a federal agency responsible for overseeing national education policy.
The order, unveiled during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, signifies Trump’s commitment to shifting control of education policy away from the federal government and placing it squarely in the hands of states and local school boards—a shift that has sparked alarm among education advocates, particularly those on the left.
“This is just the beginning,” Trump declared. “We’re going to be returning education, very simply, back to the states where it belongs.” While the executive order marks a major step toward decentralizing education policy, it is not a full-scale closure of the department.
Shutting it down entirely would require an act of Congress, and with limited support in the legislature, Trump lacks the votes to make that a reality at this time.
The move comes on the heels of the department’s announcement that it plans to lay off nearly half of its staff, a bold maneuver consistent with Trump’s broader agenda to streamline and reduce the size of the federal government, which he deems bloated and inefficient.
Education has long been a hot-button issue in U.S. politics, with conservatives pushing for more local control and school-choice options, including support for private and religious schools.
Meanwhile, liberals have championed increased funding for public education and initiatives aimed at promoting diversity. But Trump’s executive order elevates the debate to a new level, tying the issue to his broader conservative agenda—specifically, a push against what he and many on the right see as the growing influence of liberal ideologies in America’s classrooms, from K-12 schools to higher education.
As the debate over education policy intensifies, the future of the Department of Education remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: President Trump’s executive order is just the latest shot in an ongoing battle for control of the nation’s educational system.
