ByAdam S. Minsky,
Senior Contributor.
The Trump administration on Tuesday announced that the Department of Education will undergo a partial "breakup", as multiple operations are to be shifted to partnerships with other federal agencies. For decades, the department has played a major role in enforcing civil rights laws in education contexts, providing support for special education services, and overseeing the government’s vast $1.6 trillion portfolio of federal student loans, including administering loan disbursements and operating several student loan forgiveness programs.
"The Trump Administration is taking bold action to break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a statement on Tuesday. “Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission. As we partner with these agencies to improve federal programs, we will continue to gather best practices in each state through our 50-state tour, empower local leaders in K-12 education, restore excellence to higher education, and work with Congress to codify these reforms. Together, we will refocus education on students, families, and schools – ensuring federal taxpayer spending is supporting a world-class education system.”
