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President Trump Signs Executive Order Aimed at Eliminating the Department of Education

By , NAfME Advocacy and Public Policy Communications Manager

The following blog was originally posted on .

With approximately two months having passed since the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump, his administration has taken significant action to move forward his vision for American education. In a released earlier this year, we discussed the slew of executive orders aimed at curtailing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) and expanding school choice. Since then, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has been by the U.S. Senate, taken office, and released a memo titled 鈥淥ur Department鈥檚 Final Mission鈥� and fired nearly half of the civil service employees at the U.S. Department of Education.聽

White House Actions聽

On March 20, President Trump signed a long-awaited executive order that seeks to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. The EO directs Secretary McMahon to take 鈥渁ll necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.鈥� It also calls for the 鈥渦ninterrupted delivery of services, programs and benefits on which Americans rely鈥� and directs Secretary McMahon to work with Congress on a plan to transfer federal education programs and their funding to other agencies.聽

Department of Education Actions聽

When President Trump took office in January, the Department of Education (ED) had 4,133 staff members. Since that time, approximately 600 staffers have chosen to leave ED, and on March 11, ED announced mass layoffs, firing approximately 1,300 staff members. With a combined reduction in force of nearly 50%, ED鈥檚 ability to administer federal education programs will be severely hindered. ED layoffs were pervasive and lowered staffing in various offices across the Department, but layoffs disproportionately targeted financial aid, civil rights, and education research teams.聽

Congressional Actions

Late last year, the 鈥淩eturning Education to Our States鈥� Act () was introduced by Senator Mike Rounds (SD). While the bill did not pass in the 118th Congress, it offered strategies that could be employed by Congress in partnership with Secretary McMahon. If passed, the 鈥淩eturning Education to our States Act鈥� would fully abolish ED and transfer its functions, programs, and authorities to several other executive agencies. Under the bill:聽

• The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Impact Aid programs would move to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).聽
• The Office of Indian Education would shift to the Department of the Interior.聽
• The following federal student aid programs would shift to the Department of the Treasury:聽
  • Pell Grants聽
  • Federal Family Education Loan Program聽
  • William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program聽
  • Federal Perkins Loans Program聽
  • Other student loan programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act聽

The bill would establish a block grant for all K-12 education programs. The effect would be:聽

• The Treasury Department would distribute funds to states based on student enrollment numbers. States could use funds for early childhood, elementary, and secondary education, including career and technical education.聽

Arts Education Alliance Actions聽

While these actions signal a significant shift in federal education policy, it鈥檚 important to remember that fully dismantling a federal agency requires congressional approval. We don鈥檛 yet know what shape the U.S. Department of Education may ultimately take, but we do know this: NAfME will continue advocating for music educators and students every step of the way.聽

NAfME, along with our partners in the , have endorsed the Department of Education Protection Act (), a bill that aims to shield the U.S. Department of Education from efforts to dismantle the agency by prohibiting the use of appropriated funds to decentralize, reduce the staffing level of, or alter the functionality of the Department.聽

Contact YOUR Members of Congress:聽The Quorum form is about the Arts Education Alliance endorsing the Department of Education Protection Act (H.R. 433). This crucial bill would safeguard ED from being dismantled and ensure continued federal support for education, including arts education.聽

We will continue to provide updates as more details emerge. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the policies shaping the future of education support and protect music educators and their students.

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