President Donald Trump is poised to sign a long-anticipated executive order on Thursday, marking a significant step towards the official closure of the Education Department. This move comes after weeks of ongoing reductions in the agency’s personnel and budgetary allocations. According to a summary obtained by POLITICO, the forthcoming executive order will instruct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate” the department's closure and transfer educational authority back to the states.
The executive order will emphasize that while the department is being dismantled, it must continue to provide essential services, programs, and benefits. The Trump administration has already enacted substantial workforce cuts within the agency, impacting hundreds of employees, including attorneys, student aid specialists, and civil rights office staff. Although the exact wording of the order has not yet been released, its implications are clear: a significant shift in the landscape of U.S. education policy.
Additionally, the order will stipulate that any remaining programs or activities funded by the Education Department must not promote diversity, equity and inclusion, or gender ideology, as stated by the White House. This directive reflects a broader trend within the Trump administration to reshape educational priorities in line with conservative values.
A number of prominent Republican governors are expected to attend the signing ceremony. Notable figures such as Greg Abbott of Texas, Ron DeSantis of Florida, and Kim Reynolds of Iowa are among those confirmed to be present, as reported by a White House official. Furthermore, conservative organizations, including Moms for Liberty, the Heritage Foundation, and Concerned Women for America, plan to show their support at the event. USA Today was the first to break this news about the anticipated signing.
Despite the administration's plans, critical elements of the executive order have faced fluctuations over the past few weeks. There has been ongoing debate among White House advisers regarding whether Trump must issue an order to officially abolish the department. Some lawmakers, including two key Republicans, have voiced concerns about the implications of dismantling the Education Department, indicating the challenges Trump may face in securing the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to fully realize his educational reform agenda.
The White House and Trump’s appointees, alongside billionaire Elon Musk’s government-reform initiatives, have already initiated cuts to research funding and eliminated diversity programs that are pivotal to contemporary conservative movements. Additional staff reductions within the Education Department are expected to unfold in the lead-up to Trump’s signing ceremony, while the president's upcoming budget proposals are anticipated to propose further significant cuts to the department's funding.
As developments continue to unfold, the implications of this executive order will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the future of education in the United States.
