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Trump Claims He Could Collaborate with Congress to Eliminate the Department of Education


The president has indicated that his nominee for secretary, Linda McMahon, will be tasked with relocating all functions to the states.

On February 4, President Donald Trump stated that he could collaborate with Congress and the teachers’ unions to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, although he hasn’t excluded the possibility of pursuing that action through an executive order.

“Some people suggest that I could,” Trump responded to an inquiry about the potential for dismantling the department via executive action.

“I believe I’d work with Congress,” the president commented from the Oval Office, noting that cooperation with the teachers’ union is crucial since the union “is the only one that opposed it.”

Trump mentioned that his Secretary of Education nominee, Linda McMahon, was informed in advance that her role would involve efforts to “put herself out of a job.” He emphasized that her department is anticipated to support school choice and delegate school governance to the states rather than the federal government.

He referenced recent global public school system rankings and national rankings by state, highlighting that despite the U.S. spending more per student than any other country, it continues to lag in academic performance.

“If you look at that list, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and believe it or not, China is excelling on that list,” he remarked.

Trump pointed to Iowa and Idaho as exemplary states where the districts have successfully performed statewide and could serve as models for state management of public education.

“They [Iowa and Idaho] are free from debt, problems, and relatively low crime… and their education could match that of Norway and Denmark and other top-ranking countries,” he stated. “We’re at the bottom of that list, yet we spend the most.”

The 2024 Nation’s Report Card, released recently by the Department of Education’s National Assessment of Educational Progress, indicates that 69 percent of fourth graders and 70 percent of eighth graders lack proficiency in reading; meanwhile, 61 percent of fourth graders and 72 percent of eighth graders do not meet the math proficiency standard.

On average, the annual cost to educate a public school student in the U.S. is $16,700, marking a 56 percent increase since 2013. Washington, D.C., holds the highest per-student expenditure at $32,000 annually, as reported by the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University. This lab also noted a decline in math and reading scores in most states since 2013.

The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers unions have expressed their disapproval of Trump’s public education plans.

“The Department of Education plays a vital role in ensuring the success of every student in this country,” NEA President Becky Pringle asserted in a statement made on November 19.



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