The US Department of Education (DOE) plays a crucial role in administering federal funding to public K-12 schools, managing federal student loan and financial aid programs, and distributing about $30 billion a year to low-income college students. The department also engages in federal rulemaking and investigates discrimination complaints at schools.
Trump’s order means that funding for the department would either be eliminated or transferred to state governments. Already, nearly half of the department’s employees have been notified that they could be laid off. Several programs aimed at promoting diversity and protecting transgender students have also been rolled back.
The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, stated that “critical functions” of the department would remain, but the scale and size of the department would be greatly reduced. Trump promised Education Secretary Linda McMahon that he would find another role for her.
National education organizations have expressed concerns that eliminating the federal government’s role in education would strip schools of critical funding and harm students, especially those with disabilities. The move is likely to face numerous lawsuits, with Democracy Forward announcing that it would help education advocates, families, and community leaders challenge the executive order
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