Trump signed the decree ordering the dissolution of the Department of Education.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to begin dismantling the United States Department of Education, a move that will need Congress's approval in the future.

Trump has repeatedly spoken about his desire to eliminate this department, a promise he has maintained since his presidential campaign. In September 2024, Trump expressed that he wanted to reduce the federal government's influence over education to "stop the abuse of taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America's youth."

In his statement on Thursday, Trump emphasized that "everyone knows it's the right thing, and we must educate our children." He asserted that the American education system hasn't worked well and hasn't for a long time.

Therefore, the White House released a fact sheet detailing that the executive order aims to "return education to families instead of bureaucracies," and instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the department's closure and return educational authority to the states, while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans depend."

However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the executive order won't completely close the agency, but "will greatly reduce it."

She also explained that the department would continue overseeing Pell Grants and student loans that provide financial aid for college students.

"It's not going to be closed," Leavitt said. "Pell Grants and student loans will continue to be administered by the department in Washington, D.C., but the great responsibility of educating our students will return to the states."

Amid this debate, a Gallup poll published in February shows that Americans' satisfaction with education has significantly decreased over the last decade.

According to the poll, only 24% of Americans are satisfied with the quality of education in the United States in January 2025, down from 37% in January 2017.

The White House has criticized the state of education in the United States and the decline in test scores of American students.

Critics in the White House have pointed to the "National Report on the Nation," the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) of 2024, which was published on January 27.

The exam, which assesses fourth and eighth-grade students, showed that eighth-grade math scores barely changed compared to 2022, and reading scores decreased by two points at both levels.

To completely eliminate the agency, the executive branch needs Congress's approval under Article II of the United States Constitution, and a 60-vote majority is required in the Senate, where there are currently only 53 Republicans.

However, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky suggested on Wednesday in a message on X that the Senate use the budget reconciliation process to pass the measure, which would require only 51 votes.

Massie has led legislative efforts to reduce the agency and introduced a measure on January 31 to eliminate the Department of Education by December 2026.

There is also support in the Senate for this type of legislation. "I agree with President Trump that the Department of Education has failed in its mission," said Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.

"Since the agency can only be closed with Congress's approval, I will support the president's goals by introducing legislation to achieve it as soon as possible."

Despite not completely eliminating the department, the Trump administration has already begun significantly reducing its size. On March 11, the Department of Education revealed plans to cut its staff of just over 4,000 people in half.

Following reports on Wednesday night about Trump's intention to sign the directive on Thursday, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, announced that the union would challenge the order. "See you in court," Weingarten said.

Some legal actions against Trump's actions are already underway. A group of attorneys general from 21 states filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on March 13 following the agency's layoffs.

The lawsuit incorrectly argues that efforts to dismantle the agency, including the layoffs, are "an unlawful violation of the separation of powers and the Executive's obligation to ensure that the law is faithfully executed."