Is this the end of the Department of Education?
Recent moves by the Trump administration effectively signal his fulfillment of a campaign promise to end ED.
- President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Thursday afternoon aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.
- According to the order, the department aims to “return education authority” to the states, despite state and local districts already being in charge of curriculums.
- In 2023, Tennessee received over $3 billion dollars from the department which helped rural and low-income school programs, students with disabilities and technical education grants.
President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order Thursday afternoon aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, something which has been the center of highly contentious concern and debate since the start of his second term.
According to a White House summary of the order, Trump is directing his education secretary, Linda McMahon, to take “all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States.”
Local school districts and states, however, are already in control of their own curriculums. Meanwhile, the federal government provides limited oversight for federally funded schools to ensure safe and equal treatment of students.
While the White House continues to use words like “close,” an official acknowledged the department will continue operating in some form ‒ albeit as a significantly smaller agency ‒ and continue to administer “critical programs,” reported USA TODAY.
Here’s what to know in Tennessee.
Why does Donald Trump want to eliminate the Department of Education?
As reported by USA TODAY, Republicans have long accused the federal government of holding too much power over local and state education policy, despite the federal government having no control over school curriculum. Trump told reporters last month that he hopes McMahon eventually puts herself “out of a job.”
Trump has increasingly criticized the performance of U.S. public schools compared with schools in other countries.
“We’re ranked at the very bottom of the list, but we’re at the top of the list in one thing: the cost per pupil,” he said in February.
The Trump administration has drastically already reduced the department’s workforce. Under Elon Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency, the workforce has been cut from 4,133 to 2,183 workers since the start of Trump’s second term.
What does the Department of Education do?
Despite K-12 curricula being largely under the authority of local governments, the department plays a supporting role in K-12 education through funding while also overseeing colleges to ensure legal compliance and federal student aid, reported USA TODAY.
The department is responsible for the following:
- Ensuring K-12 schools comply with federal laws in order to receive funding (federal money makes up approximately a tenth of public school funding). Among other things, those laws protect students and teachers from discrimination and guarantee education for those with disabilities.
- Overseeing the country’s colleges and universities, most of which receive federal funding, by ensuring they are in compliance with federal statues to ensure equal educational opportunity for students, “regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age.”
- Helping students afford college through administering student aid, loans and grants.
- Tracking education outcomes to determine where the most support is needed for students.
How is the Department of Education organized?
The department has nine program offices which are each tasked with carrying out specific roles. Here’s a breakdown:
- Institute of Education Sciences: Leads in expanding education knowledge and produces evidence for education practice and policy through four centers.
- Office of English Language Acquisition: Develops and supports programs for linguistically and culturally diverse students to achieve English proficiency and academic success.
- Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: Provides support to improve preschool, elementary and secondary education, focusing on the nation’s “neediest children.”
- Office of Innovation and Improvement: Supports and tests K-12 innovations, teacher quality programs and school choice reforms.
- Office of Postsecondary Education: Formulates federal postsecondary education policy and promotes access to quality education, including foreign languages and international affairs.
- Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools: Promotes student health and well-being through drug and violence prevention, character and civic education and a variety of other efforts.
- Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services: Supports programs for individuals with disabilities to develop their potential and enhance their capabilities.
- Office of Federal Student Aid: Administers federal financial aid for postsecondary education and provides related information and services.
- Office of Vocational and Adult Education: Supports programs for adults to obtain high school diplomas or equivalents and pursue further education and lifelong learning.
How much money does Tennessee receive from the Department of Education?
In 2023, Tennessee received a total of $3,368,495,310, as reported in a state budget table. The Volunteer State is estimated to have received $3,540,638,930 in 2024 and is slated to receive $3,661,634,438 in 2025.
Programs include grants to local educational agencies, rural and low-income school programs, aid payment for children with disabilities, grants for infants and families, and grants for technical education.
According to the department, funds included in state tables are for department programs that allocate funds to states or local educational agencies using statutory formulas and do not reflect all department funds that a state receives.
Contributing: USA TODAY
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana
