Unexpected Twist in Washington
President Trump was expected to sign an order that would start dismantling the Department of Education, but the White House pulled back at the last minute. This delay comes as a surprise to many conservatives who have wanted to close the department for decades. The department has been around since 1979, and Trump has repeatedly said he believes it’s time to give control back to states and local communities.
“The experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars—and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support—has failed our children, our teachers, and our families,” says the draft order that Trump plans to sign.
Why This Matters to Conservatives
For folks who believe in limited government, this is huge news. The federal government was never supposed to have this much control over education. Our founders believed that power should stay close to the people. When Washington bureaucrats make decisions about your kids’ schools, that’s the opposite of local control.
Think about it like this: Who knows better what your kids need – you and your local school board, or someone in an office building 1,000 miles away?
The Department of Education has received about $1 trillion since it was created, but student test scores haven’t improved much. All that money, and what do we have to show for it? Many conservatives see this as a perfect example of big government failure.
What Would Actually Change
It’s important to know that Trump can’t just snap his fingers and make the department disappear. Only Congress can fully eliminate it. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said this herself during her confirmation hearings.
What Trump’s order would do is start the process. McMahon would begin figuring out which programs could move to other agencies and which ones might not be needed anymore.
Programs that help students with disabilities and kids from low-income families existed before the department was created in 1979. These could be moved to other parts of the government.
McMahon has already told her staff about their “final mission” and invited them to “join us in this historic final mission on behalf of all students.”
What Critics Are Saying
Not everyone is happy about this plan. Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, says Trump doesn’t want an educated public. “What you do want is an educated electorate,” Dean told CNN. “Not if you’re Donald Trump and his cult-like members. They want citizens who are not educated.”
Even some Republicans have concerns. Senator Susan Collins from Maine, who leads the powerful Appropriations Committee, doesn’t support completely dismantling the department. She points to important programs for disabled children and those from low-income families.
“There are synergies that occur having them all in one department,” Collins said. “There may be a case for spinning off some programs, there may be a case for downsizing the department, but those are decisions that the new secretary should make.”
Why The Sudden Change?
Why did the White House pull back? According to ABC News, there was concern among top administration officials about the blowback the order would receive. They weren’t ready to answer important questions about how this would affect programs like school lunches.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called it “fake news” that Trump was expected to sign the order on Thursday, even though multiple sources confirmed it was planned.
More Fake News! President Trump is NOT signing an Executive Order on the Department of Education today. https://t.co/oicgkJw3uI
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 6, 2025
Meanwhile, education leaders who oppose closing the department are celebrating. One leader told ABC News, “This is a tremendous victory for those of us who are standing up and holding the line and pushing back.” This same person claimed that hundreds of parents and some school districts are preparing for a “massive legal fight” if Trump eventually signs the order.
What Might Happen Next
The battle over the Education Department is just beginning. Here’s what conservatives might want to watch for:
- Whether Congress will support any legislation to officially close the department. This would need 60 votes in the Senate, which seems unlikely right now.
- How programs that conservatives value might be protected during any transition.
- Whether states will step up to fill any gaps if federal education programs are cut.
Remember that education policy affects not just today’s students but generations to come. For conservatives who believe in limited government, this could be one of the most important battles of Trump’s presidency.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
