President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education.
The order directs newly confirmed Education Secretary Linda McMahon "to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.”
This comes after the administration already moved to reduce its staff by nearly 50% through layoffs, buyouts and terminations. Those layoffs heavily impacted enforcement of the Office for Civil Rights, which enforces anti-discrimination laws in schools, including the elimination of seven regional offices, including Chicago’s.
