President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at dismantling the Department of Education, a move that he says will strip power from federal bureaucrats and give parents greater control over their children's education.
The order "directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all necessary steps permitted by law to shrink the Department of Education," ABC News reported. A White House fact sheet said that the decision will "turn over education to families instead of bureaucracies," according to Fox News, while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the department will continue carrying out "critical functions."
Abolishing the department will require congressional approval, with at least 60 votes needed in the Senate. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the upper chamber.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.) said he agrees with Trump that "the Department of Education has failed its mission" and is calling for its dismantling.
"Since the Department can only be shut down with Congressional approval," Cassidy said in a statement, "I will support the President's goals by submitting legislation to accomplish this as soon as possible."
The Thursday order follows through on Trump's campaign pledge to eradicate the department and shift power to state and local governments. Trump on the campaign trail condemned the Education Department as full of "radicals, zealots, and Marxists," saying he wants "every parent in America to be empowered to send their child to public, private, charter, or faith-based school of their choice."
The Education Department earlier this month announced it was cutting a total of 1,950 staff positions, or around half of its workforce.
The administration in January published a fact sheet highlighting what it says are ways in which "our government-assigned education system has failed millions of parents, students, and teachers."
"According to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 70% of 8th graders were below proficient in reading and 72% were below proficient in math," while "40% of 4th graders did not even meet the basic reading levels," the fact sheet reads.
"Standardized test scores have essentially been flat for over 30 years, despite hundreds of billions of dollars spent on government-run education," according to the fact sheet.
The Education Department has received substantial federal funding over the years. The agency was allocated a budget of $79.1 billion in fiscal year 2024 alone, Fox News reported.
House Education Committee chairman Tim Walberg (R., Mich.) in a statement to the Washington Free Beacon also praised Trump's order.
"The key to improving education is empowering parents and students and reducing the role of Washington bureaucrats," Walberg said. "The Department of Education has failed to deliver results for America's students and today's actions by the Trump administration will help ensure our nation's youth are put first."