Trump Aims to Dismantle Department of Education

U.S President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump issued a sweeping executive order on Tuesday titled “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities,” signaling a renewed push to decentralize federal control over education and advance conservative priorities like school choice and curriculum oversight.

While the order acknowledges legal limits on abolishing the Department of Education outright, it directs the agency’s secretary to “facilitate the closure” of the department by shifting authority to states and localities—a longtime GOP goal.

‘Parental Rights’ and School Choice Take Center Stage

The order aligns with the conservative “parental rights” movement, which advocates for taxpayer-funded vouchers to send children to private or charter schools and greater parental control over curricula. “The federal government has no business dictating what our children learn,” Trump said in a statement. The directive urges states to adopt policies letting parents redirect public education funds to alternative schooling options, a move critics argue could defund traditional public schools.

DEI Programs Labeled ‘Illegal Discrimination’

In its most controversial provision, the order mandates that any program receiving federal education dollars must “terminate” activities promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which it calls a form of “illegal discrimination.”

The clause targets initiatives addressing systemic inequities in schools, such as race-conscious scholarships or LGBTQ+ inclusivity training. Civil rights groups swiftly condemned the move, with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund calling it “a direct assault on marginalized students.”

Legal and Logistical Hurdles Loom

The order faces significant challenges, as dismantling the Department of Education would require congressional approval—a hurdle Trump’s team acknowledged. However, the directive empowers Education Secretary efforts to strip federal oversight of programs like Title IX and special education funding.

Analysts warn the DEI ban could also spark lawsuits, citing Supreme Court precedents upholding limited race-conscious policies in education.

Trump’s order crystallizes Republican education priorities ahead of the 2024 election, framing federal involvement in schools as bureaucratic overreach.

While symbolic without legislative backing, it sets the stage for state-level battles over school vouchers, book bans, and “culture war” curricula—issues galvanizing conservative voters.