White House: How does Executive Order affect the Department of Education -

How does Executive Order affect the Department of Education?

What is the problem?

The Department of Education, which does not directly educate students, spends millions of dollars per year that never make it to a classroom or impact student achievement.

Since its inception, the department has spent trillions in tax payer dollars, but standardized scores in math and reading are down in public schools.

In fact, per-pupil spending having increased by more than 245% since the 1970s.

What is the solution?

Keeping within the extent of the law, the “Secretary of Education shall take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education.”
In effect, this would return authority over education to the States and local communities. Parents, school boards, and your local legislators would have control over the education children are receiving in their communities.

The President speaks on this and more in his address below:

What happens to federal funding?

The executive order directly ensures “the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”

That means programs like Title One, Pell Grants, and other critical funding are NOT going to end. Those programs will be administered through other sources.

The Department of Education currently manages a student loan debt portfolio of more than $1.6 trillion. It is not a bank, and it must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America’s students. The federal student loan program will be transferred to the Small Business Administration.

Why would we keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result?

Listen to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon explain the answer to this in her interview with Fox News:

FACT SHEET

President Trump Empowers Parents, States, and Communities to Improve Education Outcomes

RETURNING EDUCATION TO PARENTS AND COMMUNITIES:

The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Education to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.

The Order also directs that programs or activities receiving any remaining Department of Education funds will not advance DEI or gender ideology.

DISMANTLING BUREAUCRACY AND EMPOWERING FAMILIES:

Since its relatively recent inception in 1979, the Department of Education, has spent over $3 trillion without improving student achievement as measured by standardized National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores.

Federal taxpayers spent around $200 billion in additional education funding during COVID-19, which, given the substantial learning loss that resulted, typifies the ineffectiveness of the current federally driven model.

Mathematics and reading scores are down in public schools, despite per-pupil spending having increased by more than 245% since the 1970s, indicating that more spending does not mean better education.

For 13-year-olds’:

Mathematics scores are the lowest they have been in decades.

Reading scores are the lowest since testing began 30 years ago.

Low-performing students are falling further behind.

In 2023, 13 Baltimore, Maryland, high schools had zero students who tested proficient in mathematics.

The Department of Education burdens schools with regulations and paperwork.

Its “Dear Colleague” letters have forced schools to redirect resources toward complying with ideological initiatives, which diverts staff time and attention away from schools’ primary role of teaching.

Biden’s Department of Education added rules that imposed nearly $3.9 billion in costs and 4,239,530 paperwork hours.

Taxpayers will no longer be burdened with tens of billions of dollars wasted on progressive social experiments and obsolete programs.

Under the Biden Administration, the Department of Education wasted more than $1 billion in grants focused on entrenching radical ideologies in education.

Biden’s Department of Education rewrote Title IX rules to expand the definition of “sex” discrimination to include “gender identity.”

The Trump Administration recently canceled $226 million in grants under the Comprehensive Centers Program that forced radical agendas onto states and systems, including race-based discrimination and gender identity ideology.

FULFILLING PROMISES TO PARENTS AND STUDENTS: President Trump has outlined a bold vision for America’s schools and returning education back to the states.

During his campaign, President Trump said “I will close the Department of Education and move education back to the states where it belongs.”

While speaking on parental rights in education, President Trump spoke of a dramatic rethinking of schools: “I want every parent in America to be empowered to send their child to public, private, charter, or faith-based school of their choice. The time for universal school choice has come. As we return education to the states, I will use every power I have to give parents this right.”

Since returning to office, President Trump has already signed an Executive Order to expand educational freedom and opportunity for families, recognizing our government-assigned education system has failed millions of parents, students, and teachers.