Trump Admin Weighs Executive Actions to Dismantle Department of Education
The Trump administration is considering executive actions that could initiate the process of dismantling the Department of Education, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Administration officials are reportedly discussing an executive order that would shut down agency functions not explicitly mandated by law. Additionally, the order would call for legislation to formally abolish the department, a move that would require congressional approval. Trump advisers are currently debating the specifics and timing of the proposal.
During his campaign, President Trump pledged to eliminate the Department of Education as part of his broader effort to reduce the size and scope of the federal government. The consideration aligns with his administration’s ongoing review of federal agencies, spearheaded by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency team, which is assessing bureaucratic inefficiencies across multiple agencies.
Last week, Rep. Thomas Massie introduced a bill to abolish the Department of Education by the end of 2026, arguing that local and state governments are better equipped to determine educational curricula. “Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., should not be in charge of our children’s intellectual and moral development,” Massie stated.
The Department of Education was created in 1979. Opponents have argued that since its implementation, academic standards have decreased nationwide. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress Changes (NAEP), 40 percent of 4th graders and one-third of 8th graders are reading below the basic level.
The proposal also comes amid growing conservative criticism of public education, with concerns over academic performance and the influence of left-wing ideologies being pushed on students in schools. While appearing on Fox News, Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice explained that governors who attended a roundtable with the president regarding the Education Department explained they were upset with social justice issues being pushed in classrooms.
“They [governors] were saying that parents want more choice. We’ve seen, on top of academic failure, this toxic soup of SEL, DEI and CRT. The president has taken executive action on those issues and the governors said give us more power in the states to be able to meet the needs of our communities, and let’s help parents, to put them in the driver seat, so they can make the best decisions for their kids,” Justice said.
