Education Secretary Linda McMahon set the department’s “final mission” and “role in this new era of accountability” of returning control of education to the states and to parents following her Senate confirmation on Monday.
“My vision is aligned with the President’s: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children,” McMahon said in a statement. “As a mother and grandmother, I know there is nobody more qualified than a parent to make educational decisions for their children. I also started my career studying to be a teacher, and as a Connecticut Board of Education member and college trustee, I have long held that teaching is the most noble of professions. As a businesswoman, I know the power of education to prepare workers for fulfilling careers.”
“American education can be the greatest in the world. It ought not to be corrupted by political ideologies, special interests, and unjust discrimination. Parents, teachers, and students alike deserve better,” she added.
The Department of Education’s role in this new era of accountability is to restore the rightful role of state oversight in education and to end the overreach from Washington.
— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) March 4, 2025
Read more about our final mission: https://t.co/7XnCDshZu4 pic.twitter.com/ZA18RYDYYv
Ahead of McMahon’s confirmation, the Department of Education as been implementing President Donald Trump’s executive orders by tackling rampant spending, eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) materials and policies, and protecting women’s and girls’ sports teams.
Ultimately, President Trump said he wants to see the Department of Education abolished and more power sent back to states and communities, and he has quipped that he wants McMahon “to put herself out of a job.” The 45th and 47th president is expected to soon sign an executive order to dismantle the department, however, officially ending the department would take an act of Congress since it was Congress who created it 45 years ago under President Jimmy Carter.
“The Department of Education’s role in this new era of accountability is to restore the rightful role of state oversight in education and to end the overreach from Washington,” McMahon said.
McMahon added that “this restoration will profoundly impact staff, budgets, and agency operations here at the Department.”
“In coming months, we will partner with Congress and other federal agencies to determine the best path forward to fulfill the expectations of the President and the American people. We will eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy so that our colleges, K-12 schools, students, and teachers can innovate and thrive,” she continued, calling a review of the department’s programs “long overdue.”
“The Department of Education is not working as intended. Since its establishment in 1980, taxpayers have entrusted the department with over $1 trillion, yet student outcomes have consistently languished,” she said.
“Millions of young Americans are trapped in failing schools, subjected to radical anti-American ideology, or saddled with college debt for a degree that has not provided a meaningful return on their investment. Teachers are leaving the profession in droves after just a few years—and citing red tape as one of their primary reasons,” she continued.
“The reality of our education system is stark, and the American people have elected President Trump to make significant changes in Washington. Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education—a momentous final mission—quickly and responsibly,” she said.
McMahon called the department’s “final mission” a “last chance to restore the culture of liberty and excellence that made American education great,” and noted that “disruption leads to innovation and gets results.”
READ MORE: The Nation’s Report Card for U.S. Students Shows Continued Learning Losses Since Pandemic
“Changing the status quo can be daunting. But every staff member of this Department should be enthusiastic about any change that will benefit students,” she said.
McMahon also laid out three “convictions” for the department:
- Parents are the primary decision-makers in their children’s education.
- Taxpayer-funded education should refocus on meaningful learning in math, reading, science, and history—not divisive DEI programs and gender ideology.
- Postsecondary education should be a path to a well-paying career aligned with workforce needs.
“Removing red tape and bureaucratic barriers will empower parents to make the best educational choices for their children. An effective transfer of educational oversight to the states will mean more autonomy for local communities. Teachers, too, will benefit from less micromanagement in the classroom—enabling them to get back to basics,” she said.
“I hope each of you will embrace this vision going forward and use these convictions as a guide for conscientious and pragmatic action. The elimination of bureaucracy should free us, not limit us, in our pursuit of these goals. I want to invite all employees to join us in this historic final mission on behalf of all students, with the same dedication and excellence that you have brought to your careers as public servants,” she continued.
“This is our opportunity to perform one final, unforgettable public service to future generations of students. I hope you will join me in ensuring that when our final mission is complete, we will all be able to say that we left American education freer, stronger, and with more hope for the future,” she concluded.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
