US President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order aimed at dismantling the Department of Education, fulfilling a key campaign pledge. The order, expected to be signed on Thursday during a White House ceremony, will direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take necessary steps to dissolve the department and shift control over education to individual states. Several Republican governors and state education commissioners are expected to attend the event.

Although the order will not immediately lead to the department’s closure, as congressional approval is required for its complete elimination, Trump has already reduced its workforce. The administration has cut the number of employees from 4,133 to 2,183 since Trump assumed office for his second term. Last week, more than 1,300 Education Department employees received termination notices as part of broader federal government workforce reductions. The Department of Government Efficiency has been overseeing these cutbacks, which also included voluntary buyouts.

The executive order will call for the continued provision of essential education services, including funding for students with disabilities, low-income schools, and federal student loan programs. However, it also stipulates that any remaining federal education funds cannot be used to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, or gender ideology. The order takes particular aim at federal regulations and paperwork requirements, arguing that compliance efforts divert attention away from schools' primary role of teaching.

Republican lawmakers have long criticized the Department of Education for exerting undue influence over local school policies, despite the fact that curriculum decisions are already made at the state and local levels. Trump has repeatedly argued that the federal government’s involvement in education has led to poor student performance, pointing to declining test scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam as evidence of a national crisis.

A White House official stated that the order is designed to "empower parents, states, and communities" to take charge of education and improve student outcomes. Trump has frequently referenced data from the department’s research division to highlight inefficiencies, asserting that the U.S. ranks poorly in global education rankings despite high per-student spending. He has pointed to states like Iowa and Indiana as examples of well-performing education systems that should have full control over their own policies.

The move is expected to face legal challenges, as previous efforts by the Trump administration to shut down federal agencies, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), have been blocked by courts. A federal district judge in Maryland recently halted the administration’s attempt to dismantle USAID, and legal experts suggest a similar battle could unfold over the Department of Education’s future.

Trump’s decision to proceed with the executive order underscores his broader approach to executive authority, which has included bypassing Congress in attempts to scale back federal agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. His administration argues that returning education oversight to the states will lead to better outcomes, while critics warn that eliminating federal oversight could undermine educational equity and access to resources for disadvantaged students.