Activists Who Want to Dismantle Public Schools Now Run the Education Department

"Even as McMahon has shrunk the Department of Education, she's operated in what she calls "a parallel universe" to radically shift how children will learn for years to come. The department's actions and policies reflect a disdain for public schools and a desire to dismantle that system in favor of a range of other options - private, Christian and virtual schools or homeschooling."

"Over just eight months, department officials have opened a $500 million tap for charter schools, a huge outlay for an option that often draws children from traditional public schools. They have repeatedly urged states to spend federal money for poor and at-risk students at private schools and businesses. And they have threatened penalties for public schools that offer programs to address historic inequities for Black or Hispanic students."

Education Secretary Linda McMahon has reduced staff, joked about padlocking the Department of Education, and framed closure as “the final mission.” The department has simultaneously redirected federal resources to alternatives to public schools, including a $500 million fund for charter schools and encouragement for states to use federal dollars for private schools and businesses serving poor and at-risk students. Officials have signaled opposition to programs addressing racial inequities and threatened penalties for districts resisting anti‑trans policies or maintaining special programs for Black students. The department presents rapid policy shifts while shrinking its personnel, prioritizing privatized, religious, virtual, and homeschooling options.

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