The Bottom Line The Education Department Is Shrinking
Originally published at The Wall Street JournalThe U.S. Department of Education has spent more than $3 trillion since 1980, with little to show for it. Reading and math scores have barely budged, achievement gaps remain, and too many families are trapped in a system that fails their children.
On March 20, 2025, President Trump took decisive action by signing an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to dismantle the department and return authority to the states.
A year later, the results are striking. The department has overhauled operations — cutting nearly half its staff, reducing administrative layers, and consolidating offices. Grants have been streamlined, programs merged, reporting reduced, and oversight of the $1.6 trillion student-loan portfolio shifted to a more capable agency.
Critics predicted chaos. One year later, the opposite is occurring. The federal footprint is shrinking, states are innovating, and parents are reclaiming a voice in their children's education.
Keri D. Ingraham