• President Trump signs executive order to begin closing the Department of Education, shifting control to states.
  • Transition faces congressional hurdles and potential legal challenges while key programs like student loans remain operational.
  • Move sparks nationwide protests from educators while aligning with conservative goals to reduce federal oversight.

Executive Order Sets Education Overhaul in Motion

President Donald Trump took the first concrete step toward his long-promised dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education on March 20, signing an executive order that initiates the process of closing the federal agency. The order directs Education Secretary to begin transferring responsibilities to state governments while maintaining essential services during the transition period.

"It won't be long before states will be running education," Trump said during the signing ceremony, framing the move as returning control to local communities. The administration has not yet provided specific timelines for the department's wind-down, but sources familiar with the matter say OMB is currently assessing the financial and logistical implications.

Funding and Programs in Flux

While the executive order outlines plans to reallocate federal education funds to states, critical questions remain about how programs like Pell Grants and federal student loans will be administered without a central department. A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed these programs would continue operating during the transition but offered no details about long-term management structures.

The move has already drawn sharp reactions from education advocates. National Education Association President Becky Pringle called it "an unprecedented attack on public education" in a statement released hours after the signing. Meanwhile, conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation have praised the decision as overdue relief from federal overreach.

Political and Legal Roadblocks Ahead

Full dissolution of the department requires congressional approval - a potentially difficult hurdle given the current Senate composition. Several Democratic senators have already vowed to challenge the order, with some constitutional scholars suggesting the administration may be overstepping its executive authority.

Teachers unions have mobilized protests in at least 12 states since the announcement, with particularly large demonstrations reported in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. The protests come as recent NAEP data shows declining math and reading scores despite decades of increased federal education spending - a point frequently cited by administration officials defending the reorganization.

[Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the year the Department of Education was established. It was created in 1979, not 1980.]