It’s been nine months since President Donald Trump signed his executive order to dismantle the Education Department—something other U.S. leaders have called for, but never attempted.
Trump has acknowledged that only Congress can completely eliminate the department. Instead, his plan is to press ahead and dismantle it, to move its functions to other agencies, and to leave just a cabinet secretary in place as the sole employee along with a physical location, before any legislative vote.
The plans for dismantling the department were revealed in more detail on Nov. 18 by Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
While critics argue that local schools will be shortchanged because of the federal cuts, McMahon maintains funding from the department is not being eliminated; it’s just being streamlined so money otherwise spent on the bureaucracy makes it directly to classrooms….