Special Poll
President Trump is set to sign an executive order on Thursday to begin dismantling the Department of Education, according to a White House official. The order, initially reported by USA Today, will be signed in the East Room after a brief delay from its originally scheduled date.
The move marks a significant step in Trump’s long-standing effort to shift education control from the federal government to individual states. Last week, the Department of Education announced plans to lay off nearly half of its workforce as part of this transition. Trump reiterated his belief that eliminating the department would improve the country’s global education ranking by allowing states to manage their own school systems.
Speaking on the issue, Trump stated that the goal is to remove bureaucratic oversight from Washington and allow states to take full control of education. He emphasized that shifting responsibility to well-run states such as Iowa and Indiana would help them achieve the educational success seen in nations like Denmark and Norway.
According to USA Today, a White House summary of the executive order outlines that Education Secretary Linda McMahon will be directed to take “all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States.”
This decision aligns with broader efforts by the Trump administration to restructure the federal government in the early weeks of his second term. The administration has already carried out widespread layoffs and buyouts across multiple agencies as part of its reform agenda.