Overview:
The Trump administration has begun transferring Education Department employees and major programs to other federal agencies as part of a broader effort to dismantle the department, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from educators and advocates.
In the latest move under the Trump administration’s plan, the Education Department has begun transferring its employees to other federal agencies with the goal of ultimately asking Congress to dismantle the Department of Education.
In a press release sent Tuesday, the Department signed six new interagency agreements to transfer some of the largest grant programs and employees to the Department of Labor, Interior, State, and Health and Human Services, in order to “break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states.”
“Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission. As we partner with these agencies to improve federal programs, we will continue to gather best practices in each state through our 50-state tour, empower local leaders in K-12 education, restore excellence to higher education, and work with Congress to codify these reforms,” according to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “Together, we will refocus education on students, families, and schools – ensuring federal taxpayer spending is supporting a world-class education system.”
In her first staff meeting since being confirmed earlier this year, McMahon told the department that it is “soft launching” plans to reassign those employees and then plans to ask Congress to permanently shutter the Department of Education.
According to McMahon, the Department of Education has transferred 13 employees to the Labor Department, “so that we can be more efficient and economical,” adding that there will be more interagency agreements to transfer other staff. Those employees will still be covered by the Department, which is co-managed by the Department of Education and the Department of Labor.
“If it has worked, and we have proven that this is the best way to do it, then we’ll ask Congress to codify this and make it a permanent move out of the Department of Education into whatever agency that program has gone into,” McMahon told employees.
Despite the soft launch, critics of the move have said that doing so during American Education Week shows a lack of compassion.
“Donald Trump and his administration chose American Education Week, a time when our nation is celebrating students, public schools, and educators, to announce their illegal plan to further abandon students by dismantling the Department of Education, said NEA President, Becky Pringle in a statement. “Not only do they want to starve and steal from our students—they want to rob them of their futures. Nothing is more important than the success of our students, and America’s educators and parents will not be silent as Trump and Linda McMahon turn their backs on our students, families, and communities to pay for billionaire tax cuts.
In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Education to transfer oversight of education to the individual states. Then, after laying off 1,400 employees in May, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the Trump administration’s request to pause a lower court order requiring the Department of Education to reinstate those employees. The unsigned ruling blocked a May decision by U.S. District Judge Myong Joun, who concluded the administration lacked the authority to “effectively dismantle the Department” through a sweeping reduction-in-force (RIF).
According to a Morning Consult survey conducted in collaboration with EdChoice, the majority of Americans oppose closing the Department of Education. Only 36% of American adults support closing the U.S. Department of Education. Nearly half of Americans (49%) oppose closing the Department of Education, with 37% strongly opposing the idea. Strong differences appear along party lines: 58% of Republicans support closing the department, compared to 23% of Democrats.
Among parents, closing the Department of Education remains unpopular, though slightly more support it than the general public. 41% of school parents support the idea, and 47% oppose it.
“The Labor Department is committed to working with the Department of Education to ensure our K-12 and postsecondary education programs prepare students for today and tomorrow’s workforce demands,” said Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “Parents and community leaders understand how important training and education are for students from all walks of life to succeed and support their local economies. Secretary McMahon and I will continue advancing President Trump’s vision to deliver effective, streamlined resources, so every student has a clear pathway from education to opportunity.”
With the six interagency agreements, there will be billions of dollars in grant programs to other agencies; specifically, the Labor Department will oversee the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Postsecondary Education. Currently, the Department of Education continues to oversee student loans and to accredit colleges.
“If you are a kid in America, regardless of where you live or what your capabilities are, or what year you are in school, you are going to be affected by these cuts,” said Rachel Gittleman, president of AFGE Local 252, which represents Education Department employees.
