That Donald Trump was working on dismantling the Department of Education is hardly a mystery. This week, the Federal News Network came into possession of an internal memo in which the agency informed its employees that the president will soon sign an executive order that will determine the end of the department’s operations.
The document reveals that the agency is already preparing its staff for closure, with plans to reassign its functions to other federal agencies. “This reorganization will impact staff, budgets, reporting, and more — and in coming months, we will determine how it can be accomplished with minimal delay and disruption”, the memo says, “We are to identify which of the Department’s functions, programs, and offices are not mandated by statute, and eliminate them. The elimination of bureaucracy should free us, not limit us, in pursuing these goals. Removing red tape and bureaucratic barriers will empower parents to make the best educational choices for their children.”
As Federal News Network reported, Trump’s action aims to drastically reduce the department’s role. The document in question follows the notice issued to agency employees by newly appointed Secretary Linda McMahon, a loyal MAGA leader, who said she was charged with carrying out the “momentous final mission” of returning education to the states and eliminating the agency’s “bureaucratic bloat.”
“Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected,” she said.
Trump, for his part, has been crystal clear, explaining that the ultimate purpose of McMahon’s assigned task will be to “take away her job,” as Secretary of a Department that she will shut down for good.
However, analysts have pointed out that dismantling the agency, which disburses funding to nearly every K-12 public school in the country and manages $1.6 trillion in federal student loans, would require congressional approval in any case.
Therefore, although the leaked memo implies otherwise, the president will not be able to get rid of the DOE so quickly. At the same time, Trump has already initiated the downsizing of the agency, putting dozens of employees on administrative leave and pressuring staff to leave voluntarily.
For insiders, the executive order, which barring anything new is expected to be signed in the coming days, will at least try to speed up operations.
However, the final word will always rest with Congress. As of today, as industry analysts report, it seems quite unlikely that the latter will rule in favor of closing the Department.
