Trump signs executive order to dismantle Department of Education

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to begin the process of dismantling the Federal Department of Education, shifting authority over education policy back to individual states.

The order, signed at the White House on Thursday, directs Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities, while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”

It also mandates the termination of federal funding for programs or activities that engage in “discrimination obscured under the label ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion'” or that promote “gender ideology.”

Trump emphasized that key federal education programs such as Pell Grants, Title I funding, and resources for children with disabilities will be fully preserved and transferred to other agencies and departments to ensure continued support.

“The United States spends more money per pupil than any country, yet we rank near the bottom of the list in terms of success. Seventy percent of eighth graders are not proficient in either reading or math,” Trump said before signing the order. “Despite these breathtaking failures, the Department’s discretionary budget has exploded by 600% and employs bureaucrats in buildings all over Washington, D.C.”

Last week, the Department of Education announced that nearly half of its workforce will be laid off as part of what officials describe as the department’s “final mission.”

Starting Friday, the department’s workforce will be reduced from 4,133 employees to approximately 2,183. Impacted employees will remain on administrative leave until June 9.