Education Secretary Linda McMahon argued that the recent 43‑day government shutdown demonstrated schools can operate without federal oversight. In a video statement, she noted that while flights were delayed, benefits halted, and loans froze, education remained largely unaffected. According to McMahon, classrooms stayed open, teachers continued to be paid, and students attended school despite the Department of Education furloughing 90% of its staff.
She emphasized that this disruption revealed a deeper truth: the nation’s schools do not rely on Washington bureaucracy to function. McMahon framed the shutdown as proof that the Department of Education’s role is unnecessary, questioning whether an agency that can disappear for weeks without consequence is truly essential. Her comments aligned with President Trump’s broader campaign promise to reduce the size of the federal government, including dismantling the Education Department.
As part of that effort, the Department of Labor absorbed certain workforce programs previously managed by Education. Earlier in the year, McMahon laid off half of the department’s employees, while Trump signed an executive order signaling his intent to shutter the agency entirely. Together, these moves underscore a push toward shifting responsibility for education away from federal control and back to states and local communities.
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