Donald Trump’s administration has taken new steps toward dismantling the US Department of Education by reassigning many of its responsibilities to other federal agencies.
The move prompted a fresh wave of criticism, as prominent Democrats accused the administration of “slashing resources” for schools and students across the US.
On Tuesday, the education department announced a new agreement with six agencies – including the departments of labor, interior, health and human services, and state – to break up what it described as the “federal education bureaucracy”.
According to the education department, the latest steps “move closer to fulfilling the president’s promise to return education to the states”.
It added: “By partnering with agencies that are best positioned to deliver results for students and taxpayers, these [interagency agreements] will streamline federal education activities on the legally required programs, reduce administrative burdens, and refocus programs and activities to better serve students and grantees.”
New partnerships with various agencies include an education collaboration with the labor department covering elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels, a Native American education initiative with the interior department, a foreign medical accreditation agreement with the health and human services department, and an international education and foreign language studies partnership with the state department.
Hailing the latest steps, the education secretary Linda McMahon said: “Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission … Together, we will refocus education on students, families, and schools – ensuring federal taxpayer spending is supporting a world-class education system.”
Tuesday’s announcement follows a video McMahon posted on X that featured clips of various Republican politicians including Ronald Reagan and George W Bush discussing efforts to dismantle the education department over the years. “The clock is ticking … ” read the caption, with the video ending on the words: “The final mission.”
In March, Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the department in a move that appeared to circumvent the need to obtain congressional approval to formally shut down a federal agency.
Although the federal government does not set school curricula – a responsibility reserved for state and local authorities – Trump has repeatedly vowed to “send education back to the states”. The push has been driven, in part, by rightwing groups supporting the administration’s crackdowns on equity policies and federal funding.
The latest announcement on dismantling the education department was met with swift backlash from Democratic lawmakers, with Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania representative, saying in a statement: “For millions of families, particularly those raising children with disabilities or living in low-income communities, the department’s core offices are not discretionary functions. They are foundational. They safeguard civil rights, expand opportunity, and ensure that every child, in every community, has the chance to learn, grow, and succeed on equal footing.
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“Altering them without transparency or congressional oversight would pose real risks to the very students they were created to protect. I will not allow it – and I urge all of my colleagues to stand with me,” added Fitzpatrick.
It comes just a month after most of the education department’s special education staff were reportedly laid off during the government shutdown. The October layoffs followed more than 1,300 cuts in March, which had already eliminated nearly half of the department’s workforce.
Also criticizing Tuesday’s announcement was Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor, who said: “Nearly a million K-12 students in Minnesota rely on funding from the department of education. Trump’s billionaire-led administration is slashing resources for students in rural communities, low-income families, and those who need special education. Minnesota will fight back.”
Like Walz, Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico’s governor, vowed to fight back, saying: “The president is threatening to dismantle the department of education and slash more than $120M from our higher-ed system but, rest assured, New Mexico will keep protecting student aid, supporting our colleges and ensuring higher education remains accessible for all.”
