President Donald Trump officially signed an Executive Order on Thursday to begin dismantling the Department of Education.
He signed the order at a White House ceremony, surrounded by children sitting at school desks. The order will significantly reduce the Department’s size.
“It sounds strange, doesn’t it? Department of Education. We’re going to eliminate it,” said the President, as reported by NBC News.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained earlier in the day that the Executive Order would not completely shut down the Department, but it would make it “much smaller than it is today.”
“As you know, the President’s Executive Order directed Linda McMahon to greatly minimize the agency. So, when it comes to student loans and Pell Grants, those will still be run out of the Department of Education,” she told reporters, according to The Hill.
A fact sheet dated March 20, 2025, from the White House claims that federal government control of education has “failed students, parents, and teachers,” adding that trillions of dollars have been spent without improving student achievement.
Trump has advocated for moving “education back to the states, where it belongs.”
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon released a statement about the order, saying it would “free future generations of American students and forge opportunities for their success.”
“Education is fundamentally a state responsibility. Instead of filtering resources through layers of federal red tape, we will empower states to take charge and advocate for and implement what is best for students, families, and educators in their communities,” McMahon added.
Similarly, U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), Chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he also supports this decision because “The key to improving education is empowering parents and students and reducing the role of Washington bureaucrats.”
Despite the praise from many Republicans on the topic, congressional Democrats have spoken out against the decision.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wrote in a statement that dismantling the Department of Education is “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken. This. Will. Hurt. Kids.”
“This horrible decision by Donald Trump will be felt by teachers, parents, school leaders, and in the quality of education our children receive,” Schumer wrote. “Across the country property taxes will go up, while the quality of many schools will go down. Presidents cannot make departments and they cannot eliminate them either, only Congress can do that.”
Although the Executive Order is the first step in dismantling the Department, the full elimination will still require a significant act of Congress.
Andrew Stoltmann, an attorney and law professor, emphasized that Trump cannot entirely eliminate the Department without strong bipartisan support, which will be challenging given the current makeup of the branches.
“President Trump does not have the ability to eliminate a federal department. Eliminating it would require congressional action, including a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate,” Stoltmann told Fox News.
“So, even if Trump can follow through with what he says, he has to pull in some Democrats in the Senate, and that will likely be impossible.”
Trump responded to the need for congressional approval and said there may come a time when they will have to decide whether it passes.
“I hope they’re going to be voting for it because ultimately, it may come before them,” Trump said, per CBS News.