Trump Administration Moves to Restore Parental Control in Education with Major DOE Cuts

The Trump administration has taken decisive action to streamline the Department of Education (DOE), reducing its workforce by over 1,300 employees in what is being hailed by conservatives as a long-overdue step toward returning educational authority to states, local districts, and, most importantly, parents.

The move follows President Trump’s 2024 campaign promise to dismantle the bloated federal education bureaucracy, which he argued has become an ideological stronghold for progressive policies rather than an institution focused on academic excellence.

Trimming Bureaucracy, Strengthening Education

Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended the layoffs as part of a broader effort to make the department more efficient, ensuring resources are directed where they matter most: the students.

“Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed toward students, parents, and teachers—not bureaucrats,” McMahon stated.

The restructuring does not impact Pell Grants, student loans, special needs funding, or competitive grants. Instead, it aims to eliminate redundant roles and curb excessive federal intervention in local education matters.

Returning Power to Parents and Local Schools

For decades, conservatives have argued that Washington bureaucrats have too much control over K-12 education, shaping curriculums and imposing federal mandates that often conflict with local values. The move to scale back the DOE aligns with the growing parents’ rights movement, which gained momentum during the COVID-19 era, as families across the country demanded more say in their children’s education.

The National Education Association (NEA) and other unions have protested the cuts, with NEA President Becky Pringle warning that “vulnerable students” would be the ones to suffer. However, many conservatives see this as fearmongering from a union leadership more interested in protecting jobs within the federal bureaucracy than in actually improving education outcomes.

Reining in Ideological Overreach

One of the biggest changes involves a significant reduction in the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), which has long been criticized for pushing left-wing policies on race and gender in schools. Under the Biden administration, OCR became notorious for its heavy-handed investigations into schools accused of violating evolving interpretations of civil rights laws, often imposing mandates that many local districts found burdensome and ideologically driven.

Trump’s administration sees this as an opportunity to refocus on real civil rights concerns while shifting enforcement to the Department of Justice, preventing bureaucrats from wielding unchecked power over local schools.

Trump’s Larger Plan: Breaking Up the DOE

The cuts may be just the beginning of an effort to dismantle the DOE entirely. The president has expressed interest in redistributing the department’s responsibilities across other government agencies. According to Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint, student aid functions could move to the Treasury Department, vocational education to the Labor Department, and disability education to the Department of Health and Human Services.

While full dissolution of the DOE requires congressional approval, Trump has shown a willingness to push ahead with executive actions that decentralize control.

A Common-Sense Reform, Not a Radical Overhaul

Despite media outcry, this move is neither radical nor unprecedented. The DOE itself was only created in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter. Before that, America’s education system functioned primarily under state and local control—a model that produced some of the best academic outcomes in history.

Critics claim Trump’s cuts are politically motivated, but his administration argues that this is about efficiency, not partisanship. “We are simply restoring decision-making power to the states and the people,” McMahon said.

The Trump administration’s approach represents a fundamental shift in how America approaches education: less Washington control, more parental involvement, and greater accountability at the local level. While opposition from unions and activists is expected, millions of parents who have fought for school choice and local control see this as a victory.

For too long, the DOE has operated as a bloated bureaucracy, dictating policies to states rather than empowering them. Trump’s move to cut down its size is a significant step toward restoring federalism in education. The opposition may decry these changes as an attack on education, but in reality, this is an effort to return education to those who know students best—parents, teachers, and local communities.