Trump Takes 2-Pronged Approach to Reduce Education Department

During an Oval Office meeting earlier this year, President Donald Trump’s plans for the Department of Education appeared ambiguous. He didn’t rule out executive action at that time but said he’d prefer to work with Congress and teacher unions to dismantle the agency and move education appropriations to other federal agencies and the states. Since then, he has taken a two-pronged approach to eliminate the agency: first by cutting the agency in half through layoffs, canceling contracts, and discontinuing facility leases, then second by issuing an executive order that directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all necessary steps to facilitate the agency’s closure and return education authority to the states....