UPDATE: This video came out a day after this lesson was published, which you might also want to check out, Linda McMahon pressed on Trump's planned cuts to the Department of Education (2/13/25).

NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?

SUMMARY

The Department of Education (DOE) is on the Trump chopping block. Details have not been fully released yet, but the president has signaled plans to dismantle it and move some of its key functions elsewhere. The department oversees student loans, federal funds for lower-income students, special education programs and more.

View the transcript of the story.

News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. Who are some of the individuals and groups that would be affected by cuts to the DOE?
2. What programs might be affected by defunding the Education Department proposed by the Trump administration?
3. When might Trump issue an Executive Order (EO) dismantling the DOE? Note: Only Congress who created the Dept. of Education in 1979 can abolish it.
4. Why is Trump targeting the DOE? (Note: Republican lawmakers for many years have pushed for its elimination.)
5. How would the changes Trump is proposing affect schools and students across the country?

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• What programs do you find of value that the Department of Education provides?
• Since most education decisions are made at the state and local level, why do you think there has been a public outcry about the potential shuttering of the DOE or gutting of its resources?

Media literacy: The closure of a federal department must be done by Congress, federal lawmakers elected by the American people.

• If Congress is the only entity that can abolish the Education Department, is it possible for Trump to sign an Executive Order eliminating it, as he said on the campaign trail and reported in recent articles? What has happened after Trump has signed other EOs since taking office?
• How does the system of checks and balances, fundamental to a representative democracy and constitutional republic, play a role in this story?

You may want to watch NBC News' Can an executive order eliminate the Department of Education? or read the TIME article Can Trump Dismantle the Department of Education? Here’s What to Know.

WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO

Find out more about what the Department of Education does. Research one of the following areas or choose another part of the DOE to learn more about. From there, discuss with a classmate, neighbor or family member whether or not you think funds could be cut.

• Special education
• Federal funds for low-income students (Title I)
• Student loans for higher education
• Pre-school programs
• Research for understanding education issues and how to make school systems in America more effective
• Civil rights laws

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