Key Takeaways:
– Linda McMahon, formerly the Chief Executive Officer of the World Wrestling Entertainment, has been nominated by president-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Education.
-Trump, like Ronald Reagan before him, has expressed intentions to dismantle the department, thus realizing a consistent Republican Party goal.
– The breakdown of the department would result in programs and initiatives needing to be reorganized into different departments, a process likely to create uncertainty and complexity.
– The proposed dismantling of the Department of Education signifies a broader commitment to substantial changes by the Trump administration.
When President-elect Donald Trump announced that Linda McMahon, the former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, was his pick for the secretary of education, it raised more than a few eyebrows. McMahon, a loyal supporter of Trump, may now find herself in the unique position of being directed to dismantle the department she’s slated to manage.
Understanding this unraveling, we must delve into the history of the Department of Education along with its function over the past five decades. By the time the department was established by Congress in 1979, the federal government had already been playing a significant role in shaping educational policy and steering funding.
Starting with Education Policies
Federal student loan programs were initiated by the Higher Education Act in 1965, while the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, the precursor to today’s Pell Grants, was launched in 1972. Predating both, the G.I. Bill of 1944 provided funding for higher education for veterans of the second world war.
At the elementary and secondary education level, federal involvement began with the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917, focusing on vocational education. Federal attention to mathematics, science, and language education commenced in 1958 with the National Defense Education Act.
Ambition vs. Reality
When the Department of Education was formed, the now-split Department of Health, Education, and Welfare divided into the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. The move was bipartisan, despite President Jimmy Carter championing it. In less than a year, a strong partisan divide regarding the Department of Education became evident, with Reagan campaigning for its elimination.
So, what does the dissolving of the Education Department entail?
In essence, the functions and programs of the department would need to be reassigned. Since ending a program doesn’t terminate it, this would likely result in a complex and chaotic reshuffling process that could destabilize key programs for K-12 and university students.
Part of a Bigger Picture
In the broader blueprint of the Trump administration’s educational agenda, there are plans for drastic changes that would affect existing Education Department programs. Proposals include school voucher plans, likely funded through federal tax credits, and program cuts like ending the Head Start early childhood education program.
What’s to Come?
The landscape of the Department of Education is set to change dramatically under this administration. Initially, we can likely expect executive orders altering the implementation of laws, such as removal of protections for transgender students.
Subsequent changes may be witnessed in the budget allocated to education programs. Based on past votes, it is expected that Trump’s educational agenda will receive overwhelming Republican congressional support.
However, the attempt to abolish the Department of Education might prove to be politically challenging even for the determined Secretary-designate, Linda McMahon. Ultimately, the appointment signals landmark changes in the works for the Education Department and the American educational system overall.