Linda McMahon lays out Education Department’s ‘final mission’

Education Secretary Linda McMahon swiftly laid out a “final mission” for the Education Department in a message to staff Monday after being quickly confirmed and sworn in.

McMahon’s plan would execute President Donald Trump’s desire to "send education back to the states" amid an expected executive order from Trump that would direct the department to offload what programs it can to other agencies and assess what laws are needed to close the department altogether.

“Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education—a momentous final mission—quickly and responsibly,” McMahon wrote after taking her new post.

She underscored that this process would “profoundly impact staff, budgets, and agency operations” and acknowledged that Congress and other federal departments would be involved.

“In coming months, we will partner with Congress and other federal agencies to determine the best path forward to fulfill the expectations of the President and the American people,” she wrote. “We will eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy so that our colleges, K-12 schools, students, and teachers can innovate and thrive.”

The secretary also laid out three lampposts: centering parents as the primary decision-makers in a child’s education; keeping diversity programming out of public education and instead focusing on core subjects; and establishing higher education as a career pathway.

“This is our opportunity to perform one final, unforgettable public service to future generations of students. I hope you will join me in ensuring that when our final mission is complete, we will all be able to say that we left American education freer, stronger, and with more hope for the future,” McMahon said.