Proposed Executive Order to Reform Department of Education’s ‘Woke’ Policies

President Donald Trump’s administration is getting ready to issue an executive order to start breaking down the Education Department, although they admit that the president does not have the power to eliminate the agency completely.

Trump vowed during the campaign to end what he called ‘wokeness’ and ‘indoctrination’ at the agency.

Currently, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is closing down the U.S. Agency for International Development, which was authorized by Congress, and receiving Trump’s endorsement. Simultaneously, Trump’s administration will work on cutting off funding for the federal Education Department.

The agency has long been a target for conservatives, going back to the 1994 ‘Republican revolution.’

‘I do not believe we need a federal department of homework checkers,’ former House Speaker New Gingrich, a Trump confidant, said back in 1995. 

A White House official said on Monday, adding an announcement on the planned actions may come later in February.

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Trump’s advisors are contemplating implementing executive actions to deconstruct the Education Department. This move is part of a broader effort led by billionaire Elon Musk and his supporters to decrease the government workforce.

It said U.S. officials have discussed an executive order that would ‘shut down all functions of the agency that aren’t written explicitly into statute or move certain functions to other departments.’

That suggests the officials have concluded Trump cannot get rid of the authorized and appropriated agency outright without buy-in from Congress, where Republicans hold narrow majorities in both houses. 

It said the order would call for developing a legislative proposal to abolish the department – something Trump could ask his team to do even without issuing such a public order.

Musk’s team has already put people in placed current aides on leave. A government-wide pitch to 2 million federal workers is urging them to a deferred resignation that has them leaving the government September 30th. 

Musk’s team has gained access to a financial aid dataset, the Washington Post reported. The data contains personal information on millions of student aid recipients. President Joe Biden forgave billions in student loan debt by issuing executive orders, infuriating Republicans.

The Education Department had no immediate comment. The Journal report added an announcement may come as early as Tuesday.

News of the effort at the Department of Education comes as Musk’s DOGE has told the Office of Personnel Management to plan for a 70 percent reduction in staff.

Republicans were critical of the Education Department under former President Joe Biden, particularly over student loan forgiveness and policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Trump has already issued executive orders to dismantle DEI programs across the federal government. ABC News reported on Monday that dozens of Department of Education employees received letters as business hours closed on Friday placing them on administrative leave.

Musk has been heading Trump’s drive to cut what the administration calls wasteful spending within the federal government.

Last week, Musk’s team at the Department of Government Efficiency gained access to the most sensitive payment systems at Treasury and, as Reuters reported, locked some federal career employees out of their agency’s own computers.

A senior White House official said on Monday that Musk was also helping Trump look at a revamp of U.S. foreign aid agency USAID.

The sixth largest federal agency has a $268 million budget, and provides funding for economically disadvantaged K-12 schools, supports special education, funds metrics and assessment, higher education funding, and federal student aid.

Student aid programs make up the bulk of its funding outlays. 

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