Dismantling the Department of Education: Implications for Schools, Families, and the Future

The biggest headline from the Department of Education this week is the Trump administration’s unprecedented move toward dismantling the agency itself. Last March, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to “take all steps necessary” to facilitate the closure of the Department. While completely eliminating the Department of Education still requires legislation—and Congress has yet to signal majority backing—the blueprint is in motion. In just the past week, the Department announced a major reduction in force, impacting every office, suggesting this is no mere political show but a concrete step toward stripping federal oversight of schools.

At the same time, the Department is swiftly implementing new policies reflecting the administration’s priorities. Last month, Secretary McMahon confirmed that key college financial aid services, like the new 2026–2027 FAFSA form, are on track to launch October 1 as planned. But behind the scenes, teams are working to identify which Department programs—especially those not mandated by Congress—will be transferred elsewhere or eliminated. While some federal services could shift to other agencies, the fate of critical programs like Pell grants and special education funding remains uncertain. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and others have warned that cuts could limit student access to essential support.

For families, educators, and students, the stakes are enormous. If major federal programs are moved to state control or axed altogether, resource gaps could widen, especially for students in high-need districts and those with disabilities. According to Education Minnesota’s president, removing Title I funding alone would cost thousands of teaching jobs and devastate services for marginalized communities. Businesses serving schools may face upheaval as federal contracts are canceled or rewritten, while states and local governments suddenly tasked with new responsibilities could see budget pressures skyrocket.

On higher education, the White House has issued new requirements for colleges and universities, demanding greater transparency in admissions data and cracking down on the use of race or ethnicity as a factor—a move following the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling on affirmative action. Secretary McMahon says this shift will “ensure admissions processes are fair and comply with federal law,” but critics argue it threatens diversity in higher education. Meanwhile, guidance supporting English Learner students has been rescinded, raising questions about equity under the recently declared national English-only policy.

There are legal and political hurdles ahead. As Brookings Institution points out, full elimination of the Department isn’t possible by executive order alone—Congress must pass enabling legislation. With Republicans holding a slim Senate majority, bipartisan support will be required, making the future highly unpredictable. Nonetheless, as the National Education Association warns, every week without federal funding clarity risks deepening teacher shortages and putting proven programs like Head Start on the chopping block.

Listeners, if you’re an educator, parent, business leader, or local official, keep an eye out for state and local hearings about education funding and federal program handoffs. The Department of Education says it will provide regular updates on next steps and encourages public feedback on proposed policy changes—visit ed.gov for details. Major votes and deadlines could be coming as early as next month.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The biggest headline from the Department of Education this week
is the Trump administration's unprecedented move toward dismantling the agency itself.
Last March, President Trump signed an executive order directing the
Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to take all steps necessary
to facilitate the closure of the department. While completely eliminating

(00:32):
the Department of Education still requires legislation, and Congress has
yet to signal majority backing the blueprint is in motion.
In just a past week, the Department announced a major
reduction in force, impacting every office, suggesting this is no
mere political show but a concrete step towards stripping federal
oversight of schools. At the same time, the Department is

(00:54):
swiftly implementing new policies reflecting the administration's priorities. Last month,
Secretary McMahon confirmed that key college financial aid services like
the new twenty twenty six to twenty twenty seven FASCA
form are on track to launch October first, as planned,
but behind the scenes, teams are working to identify which

(01:14):
department programs, especially those not mandated by Congress, will be
transferred elsewhere or eliminated. While some federal services could shift
to other agencies. The fate of critical programs like PELL
grants and special education funding remains uncertain. The American Speech
Language Hearing Association and others have warned that cuts could

(01:35):
limit student access to essential support For families, educators, and students,
The stakes are enormous. If major federal programs are moved
to state control or acts altogether, resource gaps could widen,
especially for students in high need districts and those with disabilities.
According to Education Minnesota's president, removing Title I funding alone

(01:58):
would cost thousands of teaching and devastate services for marginalized communities.
Businesses serving schools may face upheaval as federal contracts are
canceled or rewritten, while states and local governments suddenly tasked
with new responsibilities could see budget pressures skyrocket. On higher education,
the White House has issued new requirements for colleges and universities,

(02:20):
demanding greater transparency and admissions data and cracking down on
the use of race or ethnicity as a factor, a
move following the Supreme Court's twenty twenty three ruling on
affirmative action. Secretary McMahon says this shift will ensure admissions
processes are fair and comply with federal law, but critics
argue it threatens diversity and higher education. Meanwhile, guidance supporting

(02:42):
English learner students has been rescinded, raising questions about equity
under the recently declared national English only policy. There are
legal and political hurdles ahead. As Brookings Institution points out,
full elimination of the department isn't possible by executive order alone.
Congress must pass enabling legists. With Republicans holding a slim

(03:02):
Senate majority, bipartisan support will be required, making the future
highly unpredictable. Nonetheless, as the National Education Association warns, every
week without federal funding clarity risks deepening teacher shortages and
putting proven programs like Headstart on the chopping block listeners.

(03:30):
If you're an educator, parent, business leader, or local official,
keep an eye out for state and local hearings about
education funding and federal program handoffs. The Department of Education
says it will provide regular updates on next steps and
encourages public feedback on proposed policy changes. Visit ed dot
gov for details. Major votes and deadlines could be coming

(03:53):
as early as next month. Thanks for tuning in and
don't forget to subscribe for the latest developments in American
education policy. This has been a quiet please production. For
more check out quieplease dot ai