Education Secretary Linda McMahon has outlined a “final mission” for the Department of Education, signaling a potential overhaul aimed at dismantling the agency under the Trump administration. Her goals include prioritizing parental input in education, refocusing on traditional subjects like math and science, and restricting discussions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in schools. McMahon’s plans reflect Trump’s proposals for education reform, including expanding school voucher programs and localizing control over education. The agency, founded in 1979, may face significant changes as Trump seeks to diminish its role and transfer educational responsibilities back to states.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon has unveiled her vision for the Department of Education, indicating what she describes as the “final mission” for the agency as the Trump administration appears to be preparing for its dismantling.
The newly appointed secretary’s forthcoming initiatives are set to bring about a “historic overhaul” of the education department, which she claims “will significantly affect staff, budgets, and the operations of the agency here at the Department.”
In a concise set of objectives that was published on the Education Department’s website on Monday, McMahon, the former leader of the Small Business Administration and a Trump supporter, emphasized that “Parents should be the primary decision-makers regarding their children’s education.”
She further stated, “Taxpayer-funded education needs to shift its focus back to essential learning in math, reading, science, and history—not on divisive DEI initiatives and gender ideology.”
According to DEI specialists, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives aim to identify and rectify discriminatory policies or actions present in organizations.
“Postsecondary education should provide a gateway to lucrative careers aligned with workforce demand,” McMahon noted in her list of objectives.
Individuals pass in front of the Department of Education building in Washington, D.C., on February 4, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Issues surrounding parental rights and “divisive” subjects have become hot-button topics at the state level for years, rapidly transitioning to the national discourse—with intense debates occurring in recent years over school voucher schemes, content limitations, book bans, and more.
McMahon’s plans align with President Donald Trump’s proposals for educational reform. Notably, one of these proposals—a broadened school voucher program—has been a significant education talking point for the Trump administration, presented as a means for parents to gain more influence over their children’s schooling decisions.
School voucher systems enable families to utilize public education funds to cover private school tuition, homeschooling, and other educational opportunities.
McMahon reiterated the Trump administration’s mission to limit discussions on certain subjects—such as race, sex, gender, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—in both K-12 and higher education environments.
In January, Trump signed an executive order aimed at reducing federal funding for schools that cover topics concerning race, sex, gender, or politics.
Limiting DEI discussions in schools has become a focus for advocates of “parental rights,” who have spearheaded numerous book bans and influenced certain curriculum demands at local and state levels.
President Donald Trump addresses a press conference alongside Linda McMahon, the head of the Small Business Administration, on March 29, 2019, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images
The departmental memo emerges amid reports to ABC News that the president plans to issue an executive order as early as this week directing McMahon to reduce the Department of Education and collaborate with Congress on legislation aimed at its elimination.
Established under President Jimmy Carter in 1979, the Department of Education, which oversees federal education assistance programs like Title I and Pell grants, officially began its operations in 1980. The department has consistently maintained that educational curricula and graduation and enrollment standards are determined by state and local entities.
Trump’s “Agenda47” campaign proposed the elimination of the department. “We intend to close the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., returning it to the States for proper governance of our educational system,” the proposal stated.
While Congress must act to dissolve the agency, the Trump administration’s control over its funding and policy initiatives aligns more closely with the powers available through executive action.
In the memo, McMahon declared that her oversight would aim to “restore the appropriate state jurisdiction over education and eliminate unwarranted federal influences.”
ABC News has sought additional comments from the Department of Education.
This report includes contributions from ABC News’ Arthur Jones II.