President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday initiating steps to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, fulfilling a long-standing campaign promise and delivering on a key conservative priority.
Calling the agency “wasteful” and influenced by “liberal ideology,” Trump said the department had failed to improve student outcomes and that states could manage education more effectively.
“It’s doing us no good,” Trump declared during a White House ceremony, blaming the department for America’s declining academic performance.
While the order marks a major shift in federal education policy, eliminating the department entirely would require congressional approval, as the agency was established by Congress in 1979. Republican lawmakers have said they plan to introduce legislation aimed at dissolving the department.
The White House clarified that the department would not be shut down entirely. Core responsibilities, including the administration of Title I funding for low-income schools, Pell Grants, special education funding, and federal student loans, would be preserved.
Even before the executive order, the Trump administration had already begun slashing the department’s workforce by half and implementing significant cuts to key offices, including the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which collects national education data.
The announcement drew strong criticism from civil rights groups, Democrats, and education advocates, who warned the move would harm students most in need.
“This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities whose parents voted for Trump,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson.
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, called the order “dangerous and illegal,” saying it would disproportionately affect low-income students, students of color, and those with disabilities.
“The Department of Education was created in part to enforce students’ civil rights,” Scott said. “Opponents of desegregation fought its creation and are now pushing to return to so-called ‘states’ rights.’”
Supporters of Trump’s plan welcomed the move as a victory for local control and parental rights.
“No more bloated bureaucracy dictating what kids learn or stifling innovation with red tape,” said Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, on social media. “States, communities, and parents can take the reins.”
The White House has yet to specify which departmental functions may be transferred to other agencies or eliminated altogether, leaving many questions unanswered as the administration pushes ahead with one of its most controversial education reforms to date.
