# Trump and the future of the Department Of Education **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [February 4, 2025, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887 "2025-02-04T19:53:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/1 "2025-02-04T19:53:43Z")
I have seen several reports that he is planning to put out an Executive Order abolishing the Department Of Education. Does he have the Congressional support to do this (which I believe he legally needs) and, if it happens, what are the ramifications? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/2 "2025-02-04T20:04:34Z")
If every elected Republican representative follows his lead, either because they want to or because they have to, I don’t see how the Democrats can stop him from doing it. As far as ramifications go, remember that the Department of Education was created in 1979, and that schools were able to function successfully long before then, so they should continue to function without it. However, I think any DEI programs that existed will be gone and that will have a real impact on at least some students. Exactly how many students will be impacted is anyone’s guess at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/3 "2025-02-04T20:07:01Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > As far as ramifications go, remember that the Department of Education was created in 1979, and that schools were able to function successfully long before then This might be easier to remember if someone showed evidence that this happened to be a fact. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/4 "2025-02-04T20:08:42Z")
From [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Education): > It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services by the Department of Education Organization Act, which President Jimmy Carter signed into law on October 17, 1979. Looks like there was another department that had that job before it was separated out, though. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/5 "2025-02-04T20:08:55Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > As far as ramifications go, remember that the Department of Education was created in 1979, and that schools were able to function successfully long before then, so they should continue to function without it. However, I think any DEI programs that existed will be gone and that will have a real impact on at least some students. Exactly how many students will be impacted is anyone’s guess at this point. Any student that receives federal financial aid will be impacted. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/6 "2025-02-04T20:09:33Z")
Watch the snark, that is easily checked and fairly well known, well at least that is happened under President Carter. Here: [United States Department of Education - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Education) > The **United States Department of Education** is a [cabinet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Cabinet)-level department of the [United States government](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_government_of_the_United_States). It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the [Department of Health, Education, and Welfare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Health,_Education,_and_Welfare) was split into the Department of Education and the [Department of Health and Human Services](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Health_and_Human_Services) by the [Department of Education Organization Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Education_Organization_Act), which President [Jimmy Carter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter) signed into law on October 17, 1979. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/7 "2025-02-04T20:11:13Z")
Anyway, I’m not sure I’d want this administration to have any say over my state’s education system, materials, etc. I imagine they would just push for vouchers, remove any “controversial” history, etc. I don’t know the other ramifications, such as student loans, though. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/8 "2025-02-04T20:14:19Z")
Not necessarily snark, because I am not seeing where Trump is going to bring back what existed before that particular Department was created. If he has proposed that we just roll back to what existed before, that might change things. Has he? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/9 "2025-02-04T20:21:49Z")
I’m sure he hasn’t. In his “mind”, we’re wasting all this money on the DoE just so we can indoctrinate children to be radical left socialist commie pinkos. In reality, it’s a tiny part of the budget. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/10 "2025-02-04T20:34:16Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > DoE Around here, DOE = Energy and DoED or just ED = Education. I’m pretty sure DOE is on the chopping block as well. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/11 "2025-02-04T21:55:18Z")
My understanding–mostly from chatting about this with a friend who is a psychologist for the local school system and whose job mostly revolves around things like IEPs and similar access laws and regulations–is that the two big questions are money and basically “mainstreaming”. His take was that the removal of federal regulations would be like everything else we’ve seen where more control has gone back to the states: heavily dependent on the state. Things like the loss of Title VII and IX might not be noticed in states where the state government has or would pass state level equivalents. He was more worried about the loss of Title I because of the sheer amount of money involved. I think there’s been a number of well-intentioned things to come out of that Department that had some bad effects. Mainstreaming often comes up as one. The effects and enforcement of Title IX is another. It’s got the same problem as all departments: the money it controls is relied upon by state and local governments but its policies are often unpopular and easy to rail against. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/12 "2025-02-04T22:49:51Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Things like the loss of Title VII and IX might not be noticed in states where the state government has or would pass state level equivalents. Those laws wouldn’t necessarily go away just because the Dept. of Education was abolished. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/13 "2025-02-04T22:51:48Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Those laws wouldn’t necessarily go away just because the Dept. of Education was abolished Sure, but as my friend asked, “What’s the law worth if there’s no one to enforce it?” ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/14 "2025-02-04T23:12:45Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > but as my friend asked, “What’s the law worth if there’s no one to enforce it?” Well, Trump’s Dept of Ed isn’t going to enforce anything even if it’s not abolished ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/15 "2025-02-10T23:31:31Z")
**They trained on diversity under Trump. Now he’s punishing them for it.** > Employees who had completed diversity training in 2017 at the Education Department were gathered for a celebration, and the event’s printed program included a quote from the education secretary: “In building strong teams, embracing diversity and inclusion are key elements for success.” > > The secretary was Betsy DeVos, who served four years in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. > > Now, in the opening days of Trump’s second term, dozens of employees who attended that diversity program — many during Trump’s first term — have been placed on leave because of it, according to union officials, affected employees and a person with knowledge of how the decisions were made. The suspensions came in response to Trump’s Day 1 executive order to eradicate DEIA — diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility — from the government. [https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/they-trained-on-diversity-under-trump-now-he-s-punishing-them-for-it/ar-AA1yJM87](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/they-trained-on-diversity-under-trump-now-he-s-punishing-them-for-it/ar-AA1yJM87) This seems somewhat Kafkaesque. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-education/1013887/16 "2025-03-06T07:38:11Z")
> President Trump is expected to issue an executive action as early as Thursday calling on Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education,” according to a draft of the action obtained by NPR… > > The draft action instructs McMahon to act “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law,” an acknowledgement that the department and its signature responsibilities were created by Congress, are protected by statute and cannot legally be altered without congressional approval, which would almost certainly require 60 votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster. **Trump prepares order dismantling the Education Department** [https://www.npr.org/2025/03/05/nx-s1-5316227/trump-order-dismantling-education-department](https://www.npr.org/2025/03/05/nx-s1-5316227/trump-order-dismantling-education-department) A big question is what programs will be transferred and which eliminated.