Trump Administration Making Big Changes To Education Department Chalkb

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free weekly newsletter to keep up with how education is changing across the U.S. The U.S. Education Department is moving management of K-12 and higher education to the Department of Labor and parceling out other job duties to other federal agencies in the most sweeping effort so far to dismantle... The Education Department announced the changes Tuesday, describing them as fulfilling President Donald Trump’s promise to “return education to the states.” Management of both the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Postsecondary Education will be moved to the Department of Labor, which oversees workforce development programs and protects workers’ rights, among... The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education oversees major federal funding streams such as Title I, which provides $18 billion a year for high-poverty schools, as well as teacher training programs, support for English...

On the Tuesday, December 2, 2025 episode of The Excerpt podcast: Trump’s latest Education Department moves target some of the agency's most important programs. From Title I to special education to student aid, we break down what’s moving, what’s staying and what the changes mean for millions of students. Zach Schermele joins USA TODAY's The Excerpt to unpack it all. Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here President Donald Trump's quest to dismantle the Department of Education went into high gear late last month, with six interagency agreements that redistributed longstanding functional areas of the department. Well, Congress finally caved in and let Trump abolish the ED. Hello and welcome to USA Today's The Excerpt. I'm Dana Taylor. Today is Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025.

Here to help me dig into all of the changes at the Education Department, now joined by USA Today Congress reporter, Zach Schermele. Thanks so much for coming back, Zach. While only Congress can completely act as a federal agency, the Supreme Court has allowed the White House to move forward for now with mass education department layoffs. Walk me through the latest changes. The Department of Education is shifting a number of its responsibilities to other federal agencies—a move that education experts say continues the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the department, and that they fear will... Certain offices serving schools and colleges will be transferred to the Departments of Labor, Interior, Health and Human Services, and State, the department announced on Tuesday.

It claimed the change is intended to “break up the federal education bureaucracy, ensure efficient delivery of funded programs, activities, and move closer to fulfilling the President’s promise to return education to the states.” “Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a press release. “Together, we will refocus education on students, families, and schools—ensuring federal taxpayer spending is supporting a world-class education system.” But education experts argue that the shifts would actually increase bureaucracy, and could lead to delays in processing and distributing various forms of funding. “These are not agencies with expertise in these areas,” says Kevin Carey, the vice president of education and work at the nonpartisan think-tank New America.

“Taking education programs and putting them in agencies that have no expertise in education is going to make those programs function worse.” U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has said she wants to "peel back the layers of federal bureaucracy." Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption The Trump administration unveiled a sweeping plan Tuesday to sidestep Congress and outsource large pieces of the U.S. Department of Education, telling lawmakers and staff that it would shift work dedicated to, among other things, elementary and secondary education, postsecondary education and Indian education to other federal agencies. All three of those offices were originally placed at the department by Congress when it created the agency in 1979, and these moves are being made without Congress' consent.

According to two people who were briefed on the plan by the Trump administration, and who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, the administration has forged six new agreements between the... For example, under these new agreements, much of the work of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, which includes managing Title I, a key federal funding stream that helps schools support low-income students,... Department of Labor, as would much of the work of the Office of Postsecondary Education. Education Secretary Linda McMahon speaks during a meeting in the East Room of the White House, Sept. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

▶ Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his administration WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Education Department is handing off some of its biggest grant programs to other federal agencies as the Trump administration accelerates its plan to shut down the department. The changes announced Tuesday represent a major step forward for the administration’s dismantling of the department, which has mainly involved cutting jobs since President Donald Trump called for its elimination with an executive action... Six new agreements signed by the Education Department will effectively move billions of dollars in grant programs to other agencies. Most notable is one that will put the Department of Labor over some of the largest federal funding streams for K-12 schools, including Title I money for schools serving low-income communities.

In 2025, the Trump administration began extensive changes to the U.S. Department of Education, representing a new direction for federal education policy. The proposed reforms entail reorganizing key offices, reducing staff, and changing the direction and purpose of funding, all while espousing local control of schools. The administration also issued new ideological guidelines about K-12 curricula, guidelines about higher education, and changes to student loans and federal grants. Proponents argue that these revisions streamline operations and give states greater control, while critics fear that they will ultimately reduce federal involvement in the education system, lead to more inadequate funding for schools, and... As schools across the country adjust to these changes, educators, policymakers, and families are left to navigate a transformational moment that may ultimately reshape educational access, equity, and accountability in American education.

Check Out: U.S. Education Under Donald Trump: Major Changes and Key Initiatives in 2025 Here are some of the major trump education department changes along with statistics and numbers: Reduction in Staff: The Education Department has significantly cut back on staff, laying off almost half of its employees. The staff total has decreased from almost 4,100 to nearly 2,100, which has had an enormous impact on the department’s capacity to function. In March, Trump signed an executive order to begin shutting down the Department of Education, though it would take an act of Congress to actually close it.

In the meantime, the department is taking dramatic steps toward fulfilling a conservative vision of a reshaped primary and secondary education system. John Yang speaks with ProPublica investigative reporter Jennifer Smith Richards for more. Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. In March, President Trump signed an executive order to begin shutting down the Department of Education, though it would take an act of Congress to actually close it. In the meantime, the department is taking dramatic steps toward fulfilling a conservative vision of a reshaped system of primary and secondary education.

Jennifer Smith Richards is the co-author of a ProPublica investigation looking into all of this. Jennifer, what is the Department of Education doing? What steps are they taking? Yeah, so they've been very clear since Trump took office that the idea was to shut down the department. Linda McMahon, the Secretary of Education, has called it her final mission. And Donald Trump, of course, has called the department a big con job.

So that part has been clear, this desire to phase out many of the functions of the department and close it down. The Trump administration has hit the ground running with significant changes to education policy since the January 20 inauguration. Just seven weeks into the new term, the Department of Education recently confirmed Secretary Linda McMahon. The U.S. Department of Education has embarked on a sweeping overhaul of federal education policy. From budget cuts to campus accountability measures, the administration's actions have sparked intense debate among educators, students, and policymakers.

As the dust settles on these changes, one thing is clear: the landscape of American education is undergoing a significant shift in priorities, sending ripples through America's education landscape. Here's a breakdown of what's happening—and what it means for the future of learning in the United States. One of the most immediate changes has been the Department of Education's scrutiny of test-optional admissions policies. In a controversial February memorandum, the Department suggested that test-optional policies might constitute "illegal" diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, mainly when implemented to increase campus diversity. This stance has drawn sharp criticism from educators and advocates who argue that test-optional policies have been instrumental in leveling the playing field for underrepresented students. The Trump administration has made no secret of its intention to reduce federal spending on higher education.

Programs like the Research Experience for Undergraduates have slashed budgets, which provides critical research opportunities for college students. According to Inside Higher Ed, these cuts threaten to dismantle a key pipeline for future scientists and researchers, particularly at historically underfunded institutions. Graduate programs have also been hit hard, with the administration arguing that many fail to deliver a clear return on investment. Critics, however, warn that these cuts will disproportionately affect low-income and first-generation students, further widening the gap in educational access. The Office for Civil Rights at the Education Department has launched investigations into 60 colleges and universities over allegations of antisemitism, including several Ivy League institutions, citing concerns about the safety and well-being of... The administration canceled $400 million in grants to Columbia University, citing the school’s alleged inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.

While some applaud the administration for taking a stand against hate speech, others worry that the investigations could have a chilling effect on free speech and academic freedom. The line between antisemitism and legitimate criticism of Israeli policies is often blurred, raising concerns about overreach. Here’s a recap of Trump actions so far that affect K-12 professionals nationwide. During the first two months of Donald Trump’s second presidency, a flurry of executive orders and other decisions have sent shock waves through the education sector. The weeks leading up to an expected order on the U.S. Department of Education’s future have seen massive layoffs at the agency, the cancellation of research contracts, shifting guidance, restrictions on DEI efforts and more.

Here’s a recap of Trump actions so far that impact K-12 professionals nationwide. Which topics are you following the closest? What topics would you like to see K-12 Dive report on more? Send us an email at [email protected].

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