The Trump administration has initiated a significant effort to dismantle the Department of Education, with Education Secretary Linda McMahon outlining the new strategy during an appearance on Fox News. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced six new interagency agreements (IAAs) with four agencies, aiming to break up the federal education bureaucracy and ensure efficient delivery of funded programs while moving closer to fulfilling the President’s promise to return education to the states. These agreements involve partnerships with the Departments of Labor (DOL), Interior (DOI), Health and Human Services (HHS), and State, marking a major step toward improving the management of select ED programs by leveraging partner agencies’ administrative expertise and experience working with relevant stakeholders.
The announcement follows Trump’s pledge to dismantle the agency altogether, as stated by White House spokeswoman Liz Huston, who emphasized the administration’s commitment to shrinking the federal education bureaucracy while ensuring efficient delivery of funds and essential programs. The Democrat shutdown highlighted that students and teachers do not need Washington bureaucrats micromanaging their classrooms.
The Trump administration’s plan includes eventual elimination of the agency, with this being just the first step. The focus remains on refocusing education on students, families, and schools, ensuring federal taxpayer spending supports a world-class education system.