On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at the ASU+GSV Summit workforce and technology conference, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended the Trump administration’s move to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), saying it was necessary to eliminate bureaucracy. According to McMahon, “We just can’t keep going along doing what we’re doing…Let’s shake it up. Let’s do something different, and it’s not through bureaucracy in Washington.”
Cuts to the USDE have included over 100 union employees working in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the USDE’s research and data arm. IES oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, which tracks K-12 student achievement. According to McMahon, the USDE is looking to revamp IES, because the growth of the program has led to “mission creep.”
McMahon acknowledged, however, that the Education Department can’t be closed without congressional approval, saying the agency wants to work with lawmakers.
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