'Our Department’s Final Mission' – McMahon Outlines Vision for ED
By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
Hours after the Senate confirmed Linda McMahon as secretary of the Department of Education (ED), she sent an email to ED staff outlining her and President Donald Trump’s vision for the agency – including the “elimination of bureaucratic bloat.”
During her confirmation hearing, multiple senators questioned McMahon about her views on abolishing ED, after multiple news reports indicated Trump was preparing to sign an executive order to take steps to dismantle the agency. So far, the Trump administration has not yet released the executive order.
On Monday night, McMahon’s email to ED staff – which was posted on ED’s website – with the subject line “Our Department’s Final Mission,” doubled down on Trump’s goal to dismantle the agency and to send “education back to the states.”
In the email, McMahon wrote that the Trump administration is focused on eliminating waste, “red tape,” and “harmful” programs.” Under this “new era of accountability,” the Trump administration said it would end overreach from Washington, D.C., and partner with Congress and other federal agencies to review ED’s efficiency. McMahon wrote that this review will impact ED’s staffing, budget, and operations.
“The reality of our education system is stark, and the American people have elected President Trump to make significant changes in Washington,” McMahon wrote. “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’s email went on to highlight that many young Americans are “saddled with college debt” and that one of ED’s “convictions” during the Trump administration will be to ensure postsecondary education be a “path to a well-paying career aligned with workforce needs.”
“This is our opportunity to perform one final, unforgettable public service to future generations of students,” McMahon wrote in her email. “I hope you will join me in ensuring that when our final mission is complete, we will be able to say that we left American education freer, stronger, and with more hope for the future.”
Prior to McMahon’s confirmation, the Trump administration offered ED staff a $25,000 cash payout if they voluntarily resigned by Monday, March 3. It is unclear how many staffers have agreed to this condition or if the department has the authority to provide such a payout without congressional approval.
Publication Date: 3/5/2025
Salina R | 3/6/2025 4:55:46 PM
How does the closure of DoED impact the federal funding and other entities such as COD, NSLDS, FPS? Does this mean that all federal program funding will be stopped? Or will it be available for the states to oversee and administer federal programs?
Jesse H | 3/5/2025 10:5:43 AM
I feel terrible for our colleagues at the Department of Education. I know we've all had justly-felt moments of frustration with how they've handled a number of things in recent years, especially FAFSA simplification and the 24-25 debacle, but most people working there do so because (like us) they believe in the mission of making higher education accessible. My thoughts are with them as they oversee the likely dissolution of their own department, and I hope many will find new homes in colleges and ISDs so their institutional knowledge won't be lost. Regardless of what else happens, so long as there are students and programs to help them afford higher ed, the mission of the DoEd and FSA endures whether the department itself continues or not.
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