Why Has Trump Not Closed Yet? On February 14, 2025, a protester at the US Department of Education in Washington, DC, carries a banner featuring a picture of Elon Musk with the words "I Am Stealing From You." (Getty Images for the Progressive Change Institute/Jemal Countess) education?
Donald Trump's choice for secretary of education, Linda McMahon, walked a tightrope at her confirmation hearing last week. She had to convince the American people and Congress that she was qualified for a cabinet-level role, on the one hand. She also had to appease her potential employer, who has stated quite openly that he wanted McMahon "to put herself out of a job." Therefore, it should come as no surprise that McMahon stated that she would eliminate "waste, fraud, and abuse" rather than "defund" education.That is untrue. The reality isn't as widely accepted as the president would want, so McMahon is forced to tell this untruth.
Our strongest national commitments to equal opportunity for school-age children are now made at the Department of Education. It wasn't always like this. The US Office of Education, as it was originally called, was primarily responsible for gathering statistics throughout a large portion of its early existence. However, the country amassed a substantial portfolio of protections and laws pertaining to education as it progressively expanded the scope of established rights and their assurances to the younger generation. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was passed by Congress just twenty years before education was elevated to a cabinet-level agency.education amendments in 1972, the Higher Education Act of 1965, and the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (which was later superseded by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1990). The federal government was becoming more involved in ensuring that young people had equal opportunities thanks to these types of investments and the enforcement of legislation like the 1964 Civil Rights Act in schools.
There are issues with the Department of Education. The agency has been the target of federal overreach, as Republican critics have alleged for numerous decades. Arne Duncan, Barack Obama's secretary of education, was arguably the most egregious supporter of such crimes, using his position to push through a number of unpopular measures while in office. In a system that has historically been marked by a strong degree of local autonomy, such attempts were misguided for more reasons than just pushing past the bounds of the federal function. Additionally, they produced material for conspiracy theories regarding the nationalization of education. After Obama was reelected, the right-wing Tea Party faction exploited the Common Core State Standards to resurrect its campaign, though it may seem like a thing of the past now. "Obamacore," which was supported by funding from the Gates Foundation and the Department of Education, was presented as a "nefarious federal plot to wrest control of education from local school systems and parents."
However, the Department of Education was not really a Democratic Party partisan endeavor. The 1980 law that separated the Office of Education from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was signed by Jimmy Carter, as is frequently claimed. However, a congressional legislation that had over 100 cosponsors in the House and Senate, 26 of whom were Republicans, created the independent Department of Education. The new organization would strengthen "the Federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual," as lawmakers of the 96th Congress put it.
What is currently being attacked is that commitment. Trump views the agency as a "big con job" for just this reason. Pay attention to the Department of Education's budget rather than its rhetoric and superficial actions. Schools supporting low-income pupils, primarily in urban and rural areas, get about $15 billion annually. Students with disabilities receive an additional $15 billion. Additionally, more than $50 billion is spent year on subsidized loans and Pell grants to help pay for education. The scam in question is what we used to refer to as the welfare state until that term was demonized into oblivion. Tens of millions of children are able to live and learn with dignity because of it.
Legally, Donald Trump is unable to shut down the Department of Education. However, as evidenced by previous events, this administration will test the boundaries of presidential authority frequently and early. Trump will most likely hobble the agency by laying off employees and cutting funding, even if he doesn't impose an unlawful stop to its operations. Approximately $1 billion in education grants and contracts have already been slashed by Elon Musk's purported Department of Government Efficiency. Additionally, Trump has indicated that he will convert any federal education funding that remains into block grants, which may be used for almost anything, including initiatives that would weaken and destabilize public schools. "Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunities for Families," his executive order dated January 29,instructs states to implement private school vouchers and other school choice programs using Department of Education block grant funds.
Donald Trump will not be restrained by the law alone. The facts aren't either. However, Trump considers himself a populist, and his propensity to court his fans' approval frequently explains the numerous inconsistencies in his opinions. Given that, persuading regular Republicans that they stand to lose something will be necessary to save the Department of Education, if it can be saved at all. And they definitely do. Consider Sarasota County in Florida, where Trump received almost 60% of the vote in the previous November election. Eighty-four percent of voters in that election chose to increase their personal property taxes in order to fund local schools. Additionally, the grassroots organization Support Our Schools claims that , If the Department of Education is cut, Sarasota will lose a lot of money: $11.4 million for low-income schools, $12.3 million for special education, and over $4 million in other federal monies.
Americans remain pragmatic individuals who have a practical stake in their communities and the institutions that support them, even in the face of a raging culture war. Therefore, it is possible that his fans will be more confused than applauded when the Trump administration unleashes a wrecking ball on the schools. However, it can also be too late by then. Therefore, the challenge is to raise an alert that is audible to people from all political parties.
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