President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 20, 2025, aimed at shutting down the U.S. Department of Education. Standing beside Education Secretary Linda McMahon in the White House’s East Room, Trump made his intentions clear: the federal government should step back, and control over education should be returned to states and local communities.
Although Trump cannot single-handedly dismantle the department without congressional approval, his order directs McMahon to begin the process immediately, ensuring the “effective and uninterrupted delivery of services” as the transition unfolds. But what’s driving this unprecedented push to dismantle a federal agency that has existed for over four decades?
A Plan 40 Years in the Making
The roots of this decision trace back to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that has long advocated for minimizing federal influence over education. Their first major push came in 1981 with the release of Mandate for Leadership, a policy blueprint calling for the department’s elimination. At the time, their recommendations didn’t gain traction, but today, the political landscape has shifted dramatically in their favor.
Trump’s executive order mirrors many of the key points outlined in Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s modern-day initiative to reshape the federal government. Among its most controversial proposals: dismantling the Education Department, rolling back federal funding for disadvantaged students, and eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, which conservatives argue promote leftist ideologies in schools.
The Reagan-Era Battle Over Education
This isn’t the first time a Republican president has tried to abolish the Education Department. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan made an unsuccessful attempt to do the same, arguing that education should be managed at the state and local levels. However, a series of reports from educational experts at the time countered these efforts, emphasizing the need for a strong federal role in education to maintain America’s competitiveness on the global stage.
The reports criticized the declining quality of U.S. education and called for more rigorous curricula, extended school hours, and better-trained teachers. The push to maintain federal oversight ultimately prevailed—until now.
Project 2025 and the Push to Reshape Education
Fast-forward to today, and the Heritage Foundation’s influence has only grown. Project 2025 calls for drastic changes, including the elimination of federal education programs, a shift toward school choice through tuition tax credits and vouchers, and the removal of so-called ‘leftist indoctrination’ from classrooms. DEI initiatives are a prime target, with Trump and his allies vowing to erase policies that promote diversity and inclusion.
Trump’s recent executive orders further reinforce this vision, including directives to “defend women from gender ideology extremism” and strip away “radical” DEI policies from federal institutions. His administration has already begun cutting funding, canceling nearly $900 million in contracts at the Institute of Education Sciences, the department’s research arm.
A Changing Political Landscape
Unlike in the 1980s, today’s political climate is far more favorable to the Heritage Foundation’s vision. Conservative Republicans now view the think tank as a crucial player in shaping education policy. The rise of Christian Nationalism, along with Trump’s continued influence within the GOP, has emboldened the far right to take more aggressive action.
While public opinion remains skeptical—recent polls show that 63% of Americans oppose eliminating the Education Department—Trump and his allies appear undeterred. In early March, McMahon sent a directive to department employees calling the dismantling of their agency a “final mission.”
With budget cuts, staff reductions, and growing conservative momentum, Trump may not need congressional approval to gut the Education Department’s power. Whether the department survives in name alone or is fully dismantled remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: American education is on the brink of a historic transformation.
