President Donald Trump An executive order was signed Thursday to reduce the size of the Department of Education – a move that is expected to stimulate lawsuits to be filed and may require Congressional approval.
Trump often discusses plans Ministry of Education It can be traced back to the campaign and said in September 2024 that he wanted to reduce the federal government’s influence on education to “stop abuse of your taxpayer dollars to instill young people in the United States.”
“Everyone knows that this is right, we have to keep our children educated,” Trump said Thursday. “We are not doing well in the education field in this country, and we have been there for a long time.”
As a result, a White House profile on the Executive Order said the directive was intended to “transfer education to families rather than bureaucracy” and directed education secretary Linda McMahon to take all the necessary steps to promote education and return to the education sector to promote states while continuing to ensure effective services to ensure effective services, rely on services, programs and programs, and in the U.S. and across the U.S. and benefits. ”
Trump begins signing executive order to abolish the Ministry of Education
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 20, 2025 to land on the Department of Education. (pool)
Still, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier Thursday that the executive order would not completely close the agency, but would only “major minimize” it.
Additionally, she said the remaining institutions will still oversee Pell grants and student loans to provide financial assistance to undergraduates.
“This won’t be shut down,” Levitt said. “Pell grants and student loans will still be used up in Washington, D.C. departments, but the huge responsibility of educating students in our country will return to the United States.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for Fox News digital comments to clarify what the rest of the Education Department would do. The Ministry of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News numbers.
Meanwhile, a Gallup poll released in February showed that Americans’ satisfaction with education has dropped significantly over the past decade. The poll found that as of January 2025, only 24% of Americans were satisfied with the quality of education in the United States, compared with 37% in January 2017.
President Donald Trump said in February that he hopes Education Secretary Linda McMahon himself “unemployed” amid discussions to close the agency. (Noam Galai/Getty Images)
The White House opposes the status of American education and drops the test scores of American students.
White House critics pointed to the “national transcript” and released the National Education Progress Assessment (NAEP) every two years, published on January 27. The fourth and eighth graders on the test tests have almost stagnated their math scores and their reading scores have dropped by 2 points compared to 2022.
According to its website, the Department of Education was established in 1979 to improve coordination of federal education programs and support state and local school systems. It also oversees student loans, financial aid programs and non-discrimination policies.
The executive branch needs Congress to sign and eliminate the signing of the agency under Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution. In addition, the measure will require 60 votes to pass the Senate, with only 53 votes at present.
Even so, Rep. Thomas Massie led legislative efforts to stop the institution and proposed a measure to include the Ministry of Education on January 31 to include a measure by December 2026.
The Senate also has some support.
R-la. “I agree with President Trump’s mission,” Senator Bill Cassidy said in a statement on Fox News’s numerical numbers. “Since the department can be closed only if Congress approves it, I will support the president’s goal by submitting legislation to achieve this as soon as possible.”
Even without completely shutting down agencies, the Trump administration has greatly reduced its forces. On March 11, the Ministry of Education announced plans to cut more than half of the staff of more than 4,000 people.
Trump still needs Congress’ help to abolish the education sector
The Senate confirms that Linda McMahon will serve as Education Secretary on March 3. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
If efforts to close the institution and move forward, National Education Association president Becky Pringle warned that colleges will cost more families and students with disabilities will suffer.
“If successful, Trump’s ongoing action will harm all students by sending class sizes, reducing vocational training programs, making higher education more expensive and incapable of middle-class families, providing special education services to students with disabilities, and special education services that cover up student civil rights protection,” Pringle said in a statement Wednesday night.
Similarly, the American Teachers Federation urged Congress to oppose any execution order to remove the institution. The Teachers Union pointed to an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll conducted in February and found that more than 60% of Americans “strongly opposed” the agency.
The executive order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to continue to promote plans to close the agency. (Getty Image)
After a report Wednesday night about Trump’s intention to sign the directive on Thursday, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten announced that the union would challenge the order.
“See you in court,” said Weinadin.
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Legal actions against Trump’s actions are already underway. After the agency’s layoffs, a group of attorneys from 21 states filed lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Massachusetts District.
The lawsuit states that efforts to demolish the agency, including through layoffs, are “an illegal violation of separation of powers and that the administrators are obliged to take care of the law faithfully enforced.”
Fox News’ Patrick Ward and Lawrence Edwards contributed to the report.
