President Trump signs executive order to dismantle Department of Education, shifting control to states

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 20, 2025, directing the closure of the U.S. Department of Education, shifting control over education policy to state and local authorities. The move, long championed by conservatives, is framed as a response to what the order describes as federal overreach, bureaucratic waste, and a failing education system.

The executive order claims that the Department of Education was established in 1980 as a political favor after then-President Jimmy Carter received an endorsement from the National Education Association (NEA), the country’s largest teachers’ union. It argues that, since its creation, the department has expanded federal bureaucracy, failed to improve student performance, and hindered state-led education initiatives.

The order highlights declining student performance as a justification for dismantling the agency. It points to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, which found that 70% of 8th graders were below proficient in reading and 72% in math. It also notes that despite $200 billion in federal COVID-19 education relief funds—on top of $60 billion in annual federal school funding—test scores remain at historic lows.

“Closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them,” the order states. Later adding, “The Federal education bureaucracy is not working.”

The Department of Education is Not a Bank

Beyond K-12 education, the order criticizes the Department of Education’s role in managing federal student loans, comparing it to an inefficiently run bank. The department oversees a $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio, yet it has fewer than 1,500 employees in its Office of Federal Student Aid, a stark contrast to financial institutions like Wells Fargo, which employs over 200,000 people.

“The Department of Education is not a bank, and it must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America’s students,” the order states. The administration argues that transferring student loan oversight to another agency or private institutions would improve management and efficiency.

Implementation and Challenges Ahead

The executive order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin the process of dismantling the department while ensuring that student aid programs and special education funding remain operational. However, because abolishing a federal department requires congressional approval, the order does not immediately finalize the closure. It remains uncertain whether there is enough support in Congress to achieve this goal.

Additionally, the order mandates that any remaining federal education funds must not support initiatives labeled as “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or “gender ideology.”

“Consistent with the Department of Education’s authorities, the Secretary of Education shall ensure that the allocation of any Federal Department of Education funds is subject to rigorous compliance with Federal law and Administration policy, including the requirement that any program or activity receiving Federal assistance terminate illegal discrimination obscured under the label ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ or similar terms and programs promoting gender ideology,” the order states.

A Deeply Divisive Move

The decision has reignited debate over the federal government’s role in education.

Supporters argue that eliminating the department will reduce bureaucracy, empower states, and improve educational outcomes by allowing local control. Critics warn that removing federal oversight could worsen educational disparities, particularly in low-income districts that rely on federal funding.