President Trump’s administration is looking to dismantle the Department of Education. This marks a significant shift in federal education policy and acknowledges the president’s limited power to completely eliminate the agency without congressional approval.
During his campaign for the presidency, Trump pledged to counter what he refers to as ‘wokeness’ and ‘indoctrination’ within the department. The term ‘wokeness’ originates from African American vernacular and means being aware of racial or social discrimination and injustice. In recent political discussions, especially among conservatives, it is often used critically to suggest an overemphasis on progressive social justice issues, particularly in educational and corporate environments.
The White House disclosed its intentions on Monday, February 3, and announced that further action would follow later in the month. The proposed executive order is designed to “close down all agency functions not specifically detailed in statute or transfer certain functions to other departments,” according to insiders at the White House. This move aligns with similar changes at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) already initiated by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich echoed the conservative sentiment against the need for a federal education department in 1995, stating, “I do not believe we need a federal department of homework checkers.” This long-standing viewpoint has recently gained fresh momentum.
The Education Department, with a $268 million budget, is responsible for funding economically disadvantaged K-12 schools, special education programs, educational metrics and assessment, higher education funding, and federal student aid, with the majority of its funding disbursements being student aid programs.
As business hours concluded on Friday, January 31, numerous Education Department employees received letters placing them on administrative leave. This mirrors recent happenings at USAID, where Musk’s team has secured access to sensitive payment systems and reportedly locked some federal career employees out of their agency’s computers.
Sources familiar with the situation have confirmed that “Elon Musk’s government efficiency operation, which is operating at the Education Department headquarters and requesting access to agency records, has been attracted by this move.”
The timing of the executive order adds complexity as Linda McMahon, Trump’s nominee to lead the department, is awaiting her confirmation hearing. Internal disagreements have arisen over how the executive order might influence McMahon’s ability to answer questions about the president’s agenda during her confirmation process.
Meanwhile, Representative Thomas Massie has reintroduced legislation to eliminate the Department of Education by 2026. “Unelected federal bureaucrats should not control children’s education,” Massie stated, advocating for state and local control over education policy.
The administration’s strategy seems to be dual-pronged: reducing the department’s scope using executive authority while concurrently developing legislative proposals for its eventual abolition. Education experts warn that dismantling the department could significantly affect federal student loan administration, civil rights enforcement in schools, and support for low-income students.
During the administration of former President Biden, Republicans expressed criticism of the Education Department’s policies regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Musk’s DOGE team has already gained access to a federal student aid dataset containing personal information on millions of student aid recipients, raising concerns about data security and privacy. The move comes after President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, which Republicans strongly opposed.
Elon Musk’s team has already placed several thousand people on leave. A government-wide call to at least two million federal workers has encouraged them to resign by September 30.
A federal judge in Massachusetts on Thursday, February 6 temporarily blocked the Trump administration from allowing around two million federal employees to voluntarily resign in exchange for seven months of pay. The program, set to expire at midnight, was part of a broader plan by President Trump and Elon Musk to significantly reduce the federal workforce.
Judge George O’Toole Jr., appointed by President Clinton, extended the deadline until at least Monday, February 10, when the court will review a legal challenge. The delay leaves uncertainty for more than 40,000 federal workers who had already agreed to participate in the program.
Over the past week, the Trump administration has pushed employees to accept the offer, while major government unions have urged them to reject it.
Despite the judge’s ruling, Trump and Musk’s efforts to downsize the federal government are expected to continue. The administration aims to cut staff at the U.S. foreign aid agency from over 10,000 to approximately 290 positions, and officials have been informed that about 800 contracts and awards managed by U.S.A.I.D. are being canceled.