Report: Trump Plans Executive Order to Diminish Education Department

Above: A sign of the US Dept. of Education is seen outside its building on Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington, DC. Image copyright: Alex Wong/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • US Pres. Donald Trump is reportedly preparing an executive order aimed at significantly reducing the Department of Education's functions, though the agency cannot be abolished without congressional approval.

  • The department, established in 1979, currently serves more than 50M students in 98K public schools and 32K private schools, while providing financial assistance to 12M postsecondary students. The agency has over 4K employees and an $80B discretionary budget.

  • The administration has already begun reducing the department's workforce by placing dozens of employees on administrative leave and bringing in staff from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to examine internal operations.


The Spin

Republican narrative

The Department of Education, created by Jimmy Carter to appease teachers' unions, should be abolished due to its inefficiencies and ideological overreach. Until then, Trump should minimize its scope by reassigning functions, like civil rights to Justice and loans to Treasury, and appoint a secretary who can challenge its anti-American policies. Not only would this align with his promise to return education to the states, but it would also end the DEI programs plaguing American schools.


Democratic narrative

Abolishing the department would cut vital funding like Title I, hurting low-income schools, special education, and nutrition programs. If Trump truly wanted to help school children, he would work to reform the department to reduce bureaucracy, empower local districts with block grants, and improve teacher recruitment with incentives and alternative certification. This would keep essential federal support intact while increasing local control.



Metaculus Prediction





Political split

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RIGHT

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