Ex-Trump Education Secretary Advocates for Department's Closure While Budget Cuts Search for New Targets
Betsy DeVos, who served as Trump’s first secretary of Education, advocated for its complete abolition on Thursday.
TroibNews 
President Donald Trump and his supporters, including his former Education Secretary, are focusing on the Education Department as a prime candidate for budget cuts, a promise Trump made during his campaign and one that Republicans have advocated for over many years.
The Trump administration and its allies argue that the department has become a tool for progressive agendas enforcing “woke” educational policies, labeling it as a misuse of taxpayer funds. Trump has considered redirecting the department's funding to the states.
Recently, this initiative received significant backing from Betsy DeVos, Trump’s Education Secretary during his first term, who expressed in an op-ed for The Free Press that the department should be entirely eliminated.
“Nothing could be more important to our success as a nation than having well-educated citizens,” DeVos stated. “But don’t be fooled by the name: the Department of Education has almost nothing to do with actually educating anyone.”
Moreover, the Trump administration has hinted at plans to issue an executive order to dissolve the Department of Education this month. This order may instruct the department to cease its operations and redistribute its functions to other agencies, as previously reported by PMG. Some proponents acknowledge the potential lack of legislative backing to fully abolish the agency.
“When it comes to the Department of Education, the president and the policy team continue to look at options and how to reduce the size of the Department of Education, if not abolish it completely,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared on Fox News on Thursday.
In addition, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is appearing to target the Education Department, with DOGE representatives reportedly at the department's headquarters this week, seeking access to its information systems and agency records.
A federal judge temporarily halted the Trump administration from executing its “deferred resignation” program for federal employees until Monday. This program had left Education Department staff anxious about deciding whether to accept the offered deal, which was set to expire Thursday evening, or face potential layoffs stemming from staff reduction measures. Recently, numerous Education Department employees were also placed on leave for participating in a DEI training program.
The intensified movement to dismantle the department stems partly from disappointment with the latest educational performance metrics. The National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed a significant decline in K-12 students' reading abilities, with only slight improvements seen in math.
“The current system located in Washington, D.C., is not working,” Leavitt remarked. “The president is committed to ensuring states and parents have a greater say in their children’s education system.”
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
The Trump administration and its allies argue that the department has become a tool for progressive agendas enforcing “woke” educational policies, labeling it as a misuse of taxpayer funds. Trump has considered redirecting the department's funding to the states.
Recently, this initiative received significant backing from Betsy DeVos, Trump’s Education Secretary during his first term, who expressed in an op-ed for The Free Press that the department should be entirely eliminated.
“Nothing could be more important to our success as a nation than having well-educated citizens,” DeVos stated. “But don’t be fooled by the name: the Department of Education has almost nothing to do with actually educating anyone.”
Moreover, the Trump administration has hinted at plans to issue an executive order to dissolve the Department of Education this month. This order may instruct the department to cease its operations and redistribute its functions to other agencies, as previously reported by PMG. Some proponents acknowledge the potential lack of legislative backing to fully abolish the agency.
“When it comes to the Department of Education, the president and the policy team continue to look at options and how to reduce the size of the Department of Education, if not abolish it completely,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared on Fox News on Thursday.
In addition, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is appearing to target the Education Department, with DOGE representatives reportedly at the department's headquarters this week, seeking access to its information systems and agency records.
A federal judge temporarily halted the Trump administration from executing its “deferred resignation” program for federal employees until Monday. This program had left Education Department staff anxious about deciding whether to accept the offered deal, which was set to expire Thursday evening, or face potential layoffs stemming from staff reduction measures. Recently, numerous Education Department employees were also placed on leave for participating in a DEI training program.
The intensified movement to dismantle the department stems partly from disappointment with the latest educational performance metrics. The National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed a significant decline in K-12 students' reading abilities, with only slight improvements seen in math.
“The current system located in Washington, D.C., is not working,” Leavitt remarked. “The president is committed to ensuring states and parents have a greater say in their children’s education system.”
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
