“We can make our schools better and save money at the same time by putting education back where it belongs: with parents, teachers, and local communities.” — President Donald J. Trump

In March 2025, President Donald J. Trump did what generations of conservative reformers only promised: he began dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. With an executive order signed on March 20, Trump initiated the largest rollback of federal education authority since the department’s creation in 1979. For Trump and his allies, this was not just a matter of policy—it was a restoration of principle: that education belongs to the people, not to Washington bureaucrats.

For over four decades, the Department of Education (DOE) had become the engine of centralization in American schooling. Its defenders claim it ensures national equity. Its critics see a bloated agency delivering mediocre results while severing communities from control of their schools. Trump’s move was strategic—and symbolic. It posed the central question: Who educates the American child—the family, the local community, or the federal government?

The Founders’ Design: Education and Self-Government

The Constitution contains no mention of education. This omission was deliberate. Under the Tenth Amendment, powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states and the people. Education, in the Founders’ view, was a local affair—best governed by families and communities.

Thomas Jefferson put it plainly:

“It is better to tolerate the rare instance of a parent’s refusing to let his child be educated, than to shock the common feelings and ideas by the forcible asportation and education of the infant against the will of the father.”¹

Jefferson believed education was essential—but it must be grounded in liberty, not coercion from afar.

The Rise of Federal Control

President Jimmy Carter’s creation of the DOE in 1979 aimed to streamline federal involvement in education. Instead, it expanded it. By the 1980s, concerns about overreach mounted.

In his inaugural address, President Ronald Reagan declared:

“It is time to check and reverse the growth of government, which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed.”²

Reagan had campaigned to abolish the DOE, calling it “a bureaucratic boondoggle,” but political headwinds stalled that effort. The DOE grew—its budgets, regulations, and mandates multiplying—while national test scores stagnated and civic literacy declined.

Trump’s Order: “The Common Sense Thing to Do”

In 2025, Trump acted. “Dismantling the Department of Education may sound bold,” he said. “But it’s also common sense.”³ His executive order began the process of DOE deconstruction:

• Student Loans: The $1.6 trillion federal loan portfolio shifted to the Small Business Administration.
• Special Education and Nutrition: Programs moved to Health and Human Services.
• Staff Cuts: Nearly half the DOE workforce was laid off.

Trump declared:

“We can make our schools better and save money at the same time by putting education back where it belongs: with parents, teachers, and local communities.”⁴

State Reactions: A Fractured Republic

Utah: Cox’s Defense of Federalism

Governor Spencer Cox wrote in support:

“The founders intended for states to try different approaches and learn from each other. That’s how federalism works.”⁵
Calling the order “common sense,” Cox reaffirmed Utah’s readiness to lead in local control.

Texas: Abbott Stands with Trump

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, present at the signing, stated the move “empowers states to innovate, to lead, and to serve their communities without interference.”⁶

California: Legal Resistance

California AG Rob Bonta sued to block the order, joined by 19 other states. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho warned the order would “gut support for our most vulnerable students.”⁷

North Carolina and Illinois: Funding Fears

North Carolina noted federal funds support 14,000 education jobs statewide. Illinois warned of rural school closures and lost Pell Grants.⁸

🎧 Featured Podcast: Education & Liberty

1. Department of Education GONE?! School Choice RESTORED

• Description: A discussion on President Trump’s executive orders leading to the dismantling of the Department of Education and the implications for parental rights and educational freedom.

2. Take 2 Podcast: President Trump Dismantles US Department of Education

• Description: This podcast covers President Trump’s executive order to start dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and discusses the end of the 2025 Utah Legislative Session.

3. How Dismantling the Department of Education Could Affect Schools

• Description: An analysis of how President Trump’s executive order aimed at shutting down the U.S. Department of Education could impact schools nationwide.

Conclusion: The Restoration Begins

Congress must act to fully abolish the DOE. Yet Trump’s order has revived the principle of self-government. The American people are awakening to an old truth: education belongs to them, and to their children—not to Washington.

Bibliography

“NC and Illinois Warn of School Funding Crisis.” Axios, March 21, 2025.

Jefferson, Thomas. Letter to Joseph C. Cabell, February 2, 1816.

Reagan, Ronald. First Inaugural Address, January 20, 1981.

Cox, Spencer. “Dismantling the Department of Education May Sound Bold. But It’s Also Common Sense.” Washington Examiner, March 17, 2025.

Trump, Donald J. “Remarks at the Signing of the Education Executive Order.” White House Press Briefing, March 20, 2025.

Ibid.

“Abbott Backs Trump on Education Order.” Houston Chronicle, March 21, 2025.

“California Leads Lawsuit Against DOE Dismantling.” San Francisco Chronicle, March 21, 2025.