President Donald Trump announced plans to close the Department of Education on Thursday with an executive order, “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities.”
“Closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them,” read Trump’s directive. “Today, American reading and math scores are near historical lows. This year’s National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that 70% of 8th graders were below proficient in reading, and 72% were below proficient in math. The Federal education bureaucracy is not working.”
Many Republicans applauded and celebrated the president’s decision, who highlighted some of the responses in a release sent out late Thursday night.
“Virginia is ready to take full responsibility for K-12 education, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) said in a released statement. “We have implemented a high-expectations agenda that sets rigorous standards, holds schools accountable for results, and prioritizes resources to the students and schools that need the most support. We welcome the federal government’s shift of responsibility to the states—and we are grateful that President Trump’s executive order does just that. The EO also makes it clear that there will be no discrimination in the classrooms. We will continue to ensure every student graduates career-, college-, or military-ready.”
“Education is a state and local responsibility,” Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) said in a post on X. “I support President Trump’s bold action to return education to where it belongs and to put parents in the driver’s seat of their children’s education. Indiana is leading the way, having jumped from a middle of the pack state to sixth in the nation in reading. Hoosiers know what our students need to succeed better than bureaucrats in D.C.”
“Every student, family, and community is different,” said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R). “By giving states more authority over education, we will have the flexibility to focus our efforts on tailoring an educational experience that is best for our children and that meets Ohio’s needs, rather than trying to chase federal priorities.”
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) also applauded Trump’s decision, referencing the previous work of his father, who also suggested shutting the Department of Education. Paul celebrated Trump’s executive order in a post on X.
“My father introduced legislation to eliminate the Dept of Education in the early 1980’s,” Paul said in his post. “Rep. Massie continued the same bill —one sentence – and I’ve introduced the Senate version. Thanks to President Trump for working to return education to the states.”
Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) highlighted the bloated spending of the Department of Education and its failures, criticizing it as a “rampant bureaucracy.” He also applauded Trump’s directive with a post on X.
“The Department of Education does not run a single school or teach a single student,” Gooden said. “Yet, the department spent $268 billion last year. I applaud President Trump’s plan to dismantle this rampant bureaucracy and return power to parents!”
Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) also shared her enthusiasm for the decision, touting Trump’s decision to return education “to the families instead of corrupt bureaucrats.”
“Today is a historic day for students and parents across America,” Miller said. “As a mother of seven homeschooled children, I applaud President Trump for completing his promise to dismantle the Department of Education and put parents back in control. For far too long, our students have been left behind by woke, unaccountable Washington bureaucrats and a bloated system failing them academically. Now, our country has the opportunity to expand educational freedom, increase opportunities for families, and unlock our full potential.”
Trump’s decision was also celebrated by several public policy organizations and advocacy groups, including the America First Policy Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and Moms for Liberty, among others.
“President Trump’s bold action to return control of education to states and local communities marks a pivotal moment for American families,” said chairwoman Erica Donalds. “By eliminating federal overreach in education, we can foster an environment where innovation thrives, parents have greater choice, and students receive the high-quality education they deserve. This move will allow states to tailor educational approaches to their unique needs, free from one-size-fits-all federal mandates, and voters can hold their state and local elected officials accountable for the resulting academic outcomes.”
“From the moment it was created, the Department of Education was a mistake,” Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said. “It was founded on the false premise that unelected bureaucrats in Washington know better than parents and local communities when it comes to educating children. For decades, it has funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into a failing system—one that prioritizes leftist indoctrination over academic excellence, all while student achievement stagnates and America falls further behind.”
“President Trump is taking important steps to restore education to where it should be: in the hands of educators who are closest to students in their classrooms across the country,” Moms for Liberty posted on X.
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS TO BE HANDED OFF TO TREASURY, DOJ
Despite Trump’s order to shut down the Department of Education, he will need Congress’s support and action to implement the directive. Closing the Education Department without Congressional approval is unconstitutional, a fact that Secretary of Education Linda McMahon acknowledged on Thursday during an appearance on Fox News.
“That’s what he said to me from the very beginning. He would like for me to move as quickly as we can,” said McMahon. “But clearly he wanted to state and let Congress know that he intends to work with them. I want Congress to be a partner in this, and I believe they will be because both sides of the aisle know that what is happening to education in our country cannot be allowed to stand because we are failing our students.”
