Trump administration shares new moves to dismantle more of the Education Department

"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 Education Department and other agencies, offloading day-to-day operations of congressionally-required programs while retaining a small contingent of staff at the department. 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, would shift to the U.S. Department of Labor, as would much of the work of the Office of Postsecondary Education."

"The U.S. Department of the Interior would take on much of the work of the department's Office of Indian Education. The U.S. Department of State would take on international education and foreign language studies programming. Responsibility for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program, which offers childcare on college campuses to low-income student-parents, would move to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)."

The Trump administration announced a plan to shift substantial Education Department responsibilities to other federal agencies without congressional approval. Six interagency agreements reassign day-to-day operations of congressionally mandated programs while retaining a small Education Department staff. The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, including Title I administration, and the Office of Postsecondary Education would move many functions to the Department of Labor. The Department of the Interior would assume much of the Office of Indian Education. The Department of State would handle international education and foreign language programs. The CCAMPIS childcare program for low-income student-parents would transfer to HHS.

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