US schools may face significant challenges as the Trump administration begins dismantling the Education Department
The Trump administration has set in motion a plan to redistribute much of the work of the United States Department of Education across four other federal departments. Officials present it as a solution to lagging academic performance, a step towards reducing federal oversight and giving states more control over schooling. But for many state and local education leaders, the plan is a source of concern, not relief.
Rather than being eliminated, the department is entering a form of federal limbo. Key programmes, including funding for K-12 schools, grants for low-income students, and other support schemes, will shift to the Labor Department, Health and Human Services, the State Department, and the Department of the Interior. The Education Department itself will retain policy guidance, oversight of the transferred programmes, and supervision of student loans, accreditation, and civil-rights enforcement.
States worry about added complexity
For state officials, the restructuring adds layers of complexity. Washington state’s education chief said it would undoubtedly create confusion and duplicity for educators and families, while Maryland’s superintendent noted the challenges of coordinating efforts with multiple federal agencies. Jill Underly of Wisconsin highlighted that states were not consulted, saying this is not what we have asked for, or what our students need, the Associated Pressreports.
Supporters argue that the change will reduce micromanagement and increase flexibility. Education Secretary Linda McMahon told reporters that schools will continue receiving federal money without disruption and that states will gain freedom to prioritise resources according to local needs, according to AP. Some state officials, including Virginia’s Emily Anne Gullickson, welcomed the move as an opportunity to cut red tape and regain control over decision-making.
The challenge of scale
Yet for many, the risks are tangible. The Labor Department will take over Title I grants, an $18 billion programme serving 26 million students in low-income areas. Angela Hanks, a former Labor official, said that the department currently handles grants serving only 130,000 people annually, warning that the scale of new responsibilities could unleash chaos on school districts, and ultimately, on our kids, APreports.
In Salem, Massachusetts, Superintendent Stephen Zrike expressed similar concerns. Federal funding supports students who are low-income, homeless, or learning English. We don’t know what other stipulations will be attached to the funding. The level of uncertainty is enormous, he said, in an interaction with AP. Across the country, administrators worry about delays, unclear guidance, and the loss of expertise in special education and compliance with federal laws — services schools have relied on for decades.
Debate over the need for change
Some also question whether the plan addresses the core issues in American education. Reading and math scores have stagnated for years, and COVID-19 has widened learning gaps. McMahon argued that the Education Department has failed, framing her plan as a hard reset rather than a reduction in support. Critics such as Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, counter that dismantling existing infrastructure risks creating new problems rather than improving outcomes, according to AP.
Politics and caution
The debate over the department’s future is political as much as it is practical. Democrats warn that vulnerable students could lose access to essential programmes, while Republicans cast the move as a step against bureaucracy. Some conservative voices, including former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and Senator Lisa Murkowski, have also expressed caution, noting that relocating programmes to agencies without education expertise may hurt young people.
History offers a warning
When the US Education Department was created in 1979, it consolidated education programmes that had been scattered across multiple agencies. Lawmakers then warned that dispersion could lead to fragmented, duplicative, and often inconsistent federal policies relating to education, AP reports. Today, the same risks loom as states, schools, and students navigate a more fragmented federal system.
The long-term impact
The immediate impact may be subtle, but over time, the reshuffle could influence which programmes succeed, which schools face delays, and which students fall behind. The story of American education is now entwined with a quiet but profound bureaucratic experiment, one that could redefine who receives support, and how.
Rather than being eliminated, the department is entering a form of federal limbo. Key programmes, including funding for K-12 schools, grants for low-income students, and other support schemes, will shift to the Labor Department, Health and Human Services, the State Department, and the Department of the Interior. The Education Department itself will retain policy guidance, oversight of the transferred programmes, and supervision of student loans, accreditation, and civil-rights enforcement.
States worry about added complexity
For state officials, the restructuring adds layers of complexity. Washington state’s education chief said it would undoubtedly create confusion and duplicity for educators and families, while Maryland’s superintendent noted the challenges of coordinating efforts with multiple federal agencies. Jill Underly of Wisconsin highlighted that states were not consulted, saying this is not what we have asked for, or what our students need, the Associated Press
Supporters argue that the change will reduce micromanagement and increase flexibility. Education Secretary Linda McMahon told reporters that schools will continue receiving federal money without disruption and that states will gain freedom to prioritise resources according to local needs, according to AP. Some state officials, including Virginia’s Emily Anne Gullickson, welcomed the move as an opportunity to cut red tape and regain control over decision-making.
The challenge of scale
Yet for many, the risks are tangible. The Labor Department will take over Title I grants, an $18 billion programme serving 26 million students in low-income areas. Angela Hanks, a former Labor official, said that the department currently handles grants serving only 130,000 people annually, warning that the scale of new responsibilities could unleash chaos on school districts, and ultimately, on our kids, AP
In Salem, Massachusetts, Superintendent Stephen Zrike expressed similar concerns. Federal funding supports students who are low-income, homeless, or learning English. We don’t know what other stipulations will be attached to the funding. The level of uncertainty is enormous, he said, in an interaction with AP. Across the country, administrators worry about delays, unclear guidance, and the loss of expertise in special education and compliance with federal laws — services schools have relied on for decades.
Debate over the need for change
Some also question whether the plan addresses the core issues in American education. Reading and math scores have stagnated for years, and COVID-19 has widened learning gaps. McMahon argued that the Education Department has failed, framing her plan as a hard reset rather than a reduction in support. Critics such as Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, counter that dismantling existing infrastructure risks creating new problems rather than improving outcomes, according to AP.
Politics and caution
The debate over the department’s future is political as much as it is practical. Democrats warn that vulnerable students could lose access to essential programmes, while Republicans cast the move as a step against bureaucracy. Some conservative voices, including former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and Senator Lisa Murkowski, have also expressed caution, noting that relocating programmes to agencies without education expertise may hurt young people.
History offers a warning
When the US Education Department was created in 1979, it consolidated education programmes that had been scattered across multiple agencies. Lawmakers then warned that dispersion could lead to fragmented, duplicative, and often inconsistent federal policies relating to education, AP reports. Today, the same risks loom as states, schools, and students navigate a more fragmented federal system.
The long-term impact
The immediate impact may be subtle, but over time, the reshuffle could influence which programmes succeed, which schools face delays, and which students fall behind. The story of American education is now entwined with a quiet but profound bureaucratic experiment, one that could redefine who receives support, and how.
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