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Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, has vigorously defended President Trump’s controversial plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), framing it as a necessary step to reverse decades of federal overreach and poor academic outcomes. Leavitt argued the DOE has “clearly failed” its mission, pointing to plummeting test scores in math, reading, and science despite over $3 trillion spent since the department’s creation in the 1970s. She emphasized Trump’s executive order to “return education to the states,” claiming local educators and parents—not federal bureaucrats—should control curricula and funding.
– : Leavitt and allies like Ben Shapiro argue the DOE symbolizes wasteful spending and progressive indoctrination, with Shapiro calling it a “gravy train for the left”. They claim state and local governments, not Washington, should oversee schools to reflect community values.
– : The administration links the DOE’s closure to broader efforts to combat “radical gender ideology” and critical race theory in classrooms, citing a January 2025 executive order banning federal funds for programs deemed discriminatory or anti-American.
– : The Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for a second Trump term, which Shapiro has endorsed, calls the DOE a “one-stop shop for the woke education cartel” and prioritizes its elimination.
Opponents, including teachers’ unions and civil rights groups, warn dismantling the DOE would:
– : Title I funding (supporting low-income schools) and special education services under IDEA could be slashed or mismanaged if shifted to states without oversight.
– : Moving the Office for Civil Rights to the Justice Department might reduce protections against discrimination based on race, gender, or disability.
– : Pell Grants and federal student loans, relied on by 30% of college students, face uncertainty if transferred to other agencies.
While Trump’s executive order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin shutting down the DOE, Congress must approve its full abolition—a hurdle given bipartisan opposition. For now, the White House plans to minimize the department’s role, preserving only “critical functions” like student loans while delegating其余 responsibilities to states. Leavitt calls this a “common-sense shift” to empower parents and curb “failed experiments” in federal education policy.
