❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Education is reallocating part of its work to other federal agencies.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Department of Education staff.
📍WHEN & WHERE: November 18, 2025, Department of Education.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The clock is ticking…” – Linda McMahon.
🎯IMPACT: The moves pave the way for the dismantling of the Department of Education in a piecemeal fashion.
The Department of Education is poised to announce a significant restructuring, moving parts of its operations to other federal agencies. This decision aligns with President Donald J. Trump’s earlier executive order aimed at dismantling the department.
The announcement is expected during an all-hands meeting for department staff on Tuesday. Education Secretary Linda McMahon hinted at these changes through a social media post featuring footage of the late President Ronald Reagan and others talking about dismantling the department, accompanied by the words, “The clock is ticking…”
A congressional aide has indicated that the restructuring will affect at least five offices: the Office for Civil Rights, the Office of Indian Education, the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Office of Postsecondary Education, and the Office of Special Education.
The reallocation involves transferring personnel to other agencies while maintaining some oversight and leadership by the Department of Education. This strategy enables McMahon to proceed with dismantling the department incrementally, bypassing the need for congressional approval.
Despite Congress holding the ultimate authority to eliminate the department, the Supreme Court has allowed the administration to proceed with layoffs. The Department of Education has already begun shifting responsibilities to the Department of Labor.
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