With the possibility of an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education looming, President Donald Trump's pick for the department's head, Linda McMahon, appeared before members of the Senate Thursday, where she voiced her determination to put Trump's plan into motion.
"November proved that Americans overwhelmingly support the President's vision, and I am ready to enact it," McMahon said.
Trump has been vocal about his plan to dismantle the education department for some time now. Just this week, he commented on the issue to reporters, saying he wanted the department “closed immediately” and labeled it a “con job.”
The abolition of a federal department cannot be accomplished without congressional approval. In Thursday's hearing, Linda McMahon acknowledged this and said she plans to work with Congress.
Still, steps have already been taken to make Trump's goal a reality. On Monday, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency slashed almost $900 million in contracts from the Education Department's Institute of Education Sciences, which tracks the progress of students in the U.S.
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It's unclear what a future without a federal education department would look like, but Trump has said he wants to send education back to the states.
Sean Spiller, President of the New Jersey Education Association and candidate for governor disagrees.
"It works best for us, the people, when government at all levels is functioning to make your lives better,” said Spiller. “Not obstructing, not ignoring, and certainly not going after our kids."
There are also concerns that without a federal education department, America's education system could be privatized.
The Trump administration has been a fierce advocate to expand school choice, saying it provides students more options. Spiller sees the effort differently.
"It's an effort to take money out of our pockets, public dollars, to put it into all of these big private corporations that want a standardize education and profit from it."
RELATED STORY | Trump’s Education nominee Linda McMahon faces senators amid calls to dismantle department
