What are the key roles of the Department of Education? Trump to reportedly sign executive order to eliminate the dept.

President Donald Trump's administration is reportedly preparing an executive order to eliminate the Department of Education (DOE). Citing two sources familiar with the plans, CNN on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, reported that the move would be pushed in two parts—directing the secretary of education to diminish the DOE through executive action and pushing for Congress to pass litigation ending it.

Per its website, the Department of Education is a federal agency that "establishes policy for, administers, and coordinates most federal assistance to education." In simpler terms, DOE manages funding and education programs. Its mission is to:

"Promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access for students of all ages."

---

Trump wants his secretary of education pick, Linda McMahon, to "put herself out of a job"

The Department of Education was founded in 1979 during President Jimmy Carter's administration. Per its website, its purpose includes ensuring:

• Access to equal educational opportunity for every individual.
• Supplement and complement efforts (state, local, private, public, community-based organizations, etc.) that improve the quality of education.
• Encourage the increased involvement of the public, parents, and students in federal education programs.
• Promote improvements in the quality and usefulness of education through federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information.
• Improve the coordination of federal education programs.
• Improve the management and efficiency of federal education activities, especially federal funding and the reduction of unnecessary and duplicative burdens and constraints (on recipients).
• Increase the accountability of federal education programs to the president, the Congress, and the public.

The DOE does not set a school's curriculum; that responsibility lies in the hands of states and local districts. However, it oversees student loan programs, administers grants to help low-income students attend university, and funds programs that support students with disabilities and those living in poverty. DOE also enforces civil rights law that prevents discrimination based on race or s*x.

The DOE website states that it serves more than 55 million students in about 100,000 public and 34,000 private schools. The department also provides "grant, loan, and work-study assistance" to about 10 million undergraduate students.

According to CNN, in a statement on Tuesday, Trump explained that he wanted his secretary of education pick (not yet confirmed), Linda McMahon (former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) CEO), to "put herself out of a job." He stated:

"I told Linda, ‘Linda, I hope you do a great job in putting yourself out of a job.’ I want her to put herself out of a job – Education Department."

This is not the first time Trump has proposed axing the department. During his first term, he proposed a $5.6 billion cut and stopping 29 programs, including after-school and summer initiatives for deprived children. However, the proposal didn't pass Congress at the time.

Citing a July 2024 campaign email, NBC Chicago reported that Trump laid out his priorities for educational policies. This included cutting federal funding for any schools or programs pushing "critical race theory" and opening a civil rights investigation into schools discriminating against Asian Americans.

In the email, Trump also called for a new credentialing system to help certify teachers that embraced "patriotic values" and wanted to eliminate "radicals" in the DOE.

Trump's DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) head, Elon Musk, has been looking through DOE's programs and staff to cut. Last week, dozens of staff members were put on paid administrative leave after Trump's recent order banned DEI programs in the federal government.

Notably, Trump's executive order alone would not shut down the department. He needs approval from both houses (Congress and the House of Representatives).

According to the BBC, in 2024, the DOE was allocated $238 billion in the federal budget, which is less than 2% of the total budget. Further, the department has about 4,400 employees, the smallest of any cabinet-level department.

---

Trump or his administration has not publicly commented on the development.