Responding to the SmackDown
New Education Secretary tapped to push vouchers, shut down the Department
Donald Trump is moving quickly to form a Cabinet for his next Administration. While he was sorting through appointments, a funny thing happened. A leader of a pro-Trump PAC wanted to be Commerce Secretary. But, that job went to someone else.
So, the consolation prize was the Department of Education. That post is going to former pro-wrestling mogul Linda McMahon. She seems a good fit to deliver on Trump’s two education-related goals: Destroy the Department of Education and advance school vouchers to as much of the country as possible.
Here are some responses to the announcement that McMahon will be leading Education:
Her selection signals a potential shift towards increased privatization and local control in education. It echos Trump's stated intention to drastically reduce or eliminate the Department of Education. The controversial Project 2025, a blueprint for a potential second Trump term, explicitly calls for the department's dissolution.
Key points to watch:
The fate of federal education programs like Title I and Head Start
Potential shifts in education funding mechanisms, possibly towards voucher systems
Changes in federal oversight of education, particularly regarding civil rights and special education
Peter Greene offers this insight:
Unlike former secretary Betsy DeVos or some of the contenders like Tiffany Justice and Erika Donalds, McMahon has not spent most of her adult life trying to devise and implement ways to dismantle and privatize public education. (And at age 76, she is a decade older than DeVos--one more aging boomer in this administration). I'm not saying that won't be part of her policy objectives. It's just that she won't enter office with a whole suitcase of explosives already packed.
However, that doesn't change the fact that she is completely and utterly unqualified to run the department. She may actually have an edge on DeVos, who had never worked at an actual job, led a large organization, or sold an idea with any technique other than throwing money at people. She spent some time on the Connecticut State Board of Education, so she knows a bit about the bureaucratic ins and outs.
And here are more reactions:
Oklahoma’s State Superintendent of Education:
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee
And, while Trump and McMahon may support school vouchers, it is important to note that voters - even in very red states - do not:
