With the beginning of the Trump administration, several changes are incoming to the Department of Education. This week, Linda McMahon, former chair of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), was elected to the department’s top spot. After getting her confirmed, Trump told reporters her job was to “put herself out of a job” after several comments on the campaign trail about abolishing the department. 

With these comments in mind, lawmakers grilled McMahon about Trump’s plan for the department, seeking to get to the bottom of what she would do as the secretary. She reiterated Trump’s goal of downsizing and reducing the budget, but acknowledged she would have to work with Congress if she were to follow Trump’s goal of shuttering the department. 

Currently, the Department of Education ranks sixth among government departments in spending (making 4% of the total budget), but has one of the smallest workforces of the major departments. It distributes federal funds for disability accommodation and for the operation of schools in areas where local taxes are insufficient for a school, as well as providing funds to students receiving aid in college tuition. They also protect civil rights and disabled student rights in schools, though at a small scale. 

Critics ask what there is to take from the department, as it currently serves a critical position in helping disabled and rural students, as well as those from disenfranchised communities. It also lacks what Trump usually targets in eliminating what he perceives as ‘bloat,’ being personnel.  

Still, Trump has targeted the department already, firing dozens of employees in the civil rights office, and dozens more across the agency for attending a diversity training session (which was mandatory for some). He also fired employees in probationary positions, which is easier due to less legal protections for their firing. Additionally, he had the department end 881 million dollars in educational research projects. 

Additionally, the department has decided to reinterpret Title IX, a critical policy that ensures gender equality in school sports. They decided to roll back consideration of gender identity in cases of discrimination, eliminating a Biden administration protection for transgender and nonbinary athletes. 

McMahon still asserted she would not close the department, just make it run more efficiently. However, soon after, Trump outwardly stated he wanted to close it as soon as possible. “I’d like it to be closed immediately. Look, the Department of Education’s a big con job” he said to reporters.