US Department of Education restructuring

Under the Trump administration, Education Secretary Linda McMahon has initiated a restructuring of the Department of Education. This process involves transferring various roles and responsibilities to other federal agencies through inter-agency agreements under the Economy Act. While the Department remains legally intact, McMahon stated these transfers are intended to “eliminate duplicative work and increase efficiency” and reduce federal bureaucracy to return decision-making power to individual states.

Concurrently, the administration is shifting educational funding priorities. Secretary McMahon has advocated for redirecting resources away from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives toward core academic subjects such as reading, writing, mathematics, and critical thinking. She has also proposed conditioning grant money on programs that promote patriotic principles and national unity in civics instruction.

Recent actions have focused on state-level implementation and oversight. During a “Returning Education to the States” tour in California, McMahon addressed the state’s low proficiency rates in math and reading. Additionally, the Department of Education has announced investigations into three California school districts—North Monterey County, Palo Alto, and San Francisco Unified—regarding allegations that educators surveyed students about sexuality and gender identity without parental consent, potentially violating the federal Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment. McMahon emphasized that parents must play an active role in monitoring classroom instruction.