It’s beginning to sound like a broken record, but the executive order to abolish the Department of Education is coming tomorrow. For weeks, there were rumblings and behind-the-scenes moves to corroborate what President Donald Trump wanted to do with the failed agency. It is infuriating all the right people, like the heads of teachers’ unions; Randi Weingarten is on the verge of institutionalization over the move. And now, the day is here: the president is expected to sign the order tomorrow (via USA Today):
President Donald Trump is set to sign a long-anticipated executive order Thursday that seeks to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, delivering on a signature campaign promise to try to dismantle the agency, according to senior Trump administration officials.
Trump is expected to sign the order, which has been in the works for weeks, at a White House ceremony attended by several Republican governors and state education commissioners.
Trump will direct his education secretary, Linda McMahon, to take "all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States," according to a White House summary of the order reviewed by USA TODAY. It also calls for the "uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely."
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The order takes aim at "regulations and paperwork" required by the Department of Education, arguing federal guidance in the form of "Dear Colleague" letters from the department "redirect resources toward complying with ideological initiatives, which diverts staff time and attention away from schools’ primary role of teaching," according to the White House summary.
This order will endure an avalanche of legal challenges, but when has that stopped the Trump administration? As previously noted, Congress will be entrusted with the actual gutting of the department. Half of the agency is already slated to be laid off, so brace for the meltdowns, along with loaded talking points about how we need this government agency that presides over a nation with students that have lower math and reading scores than when it was founded; an accurate indicator of success…if you’re a swamp creature.
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