McMahon would face the competing tasks of winding down the Education Department while also escalating efforts to achieve Trump’s agenda. Already the Republican president has signed sweeping orders to rid America’s schools of diversity programs and protecting women's sports from men who claim to be females. Trump is also a fan of school choice programs.
At the same time, Trump has promised to shut down the department and said he wants McMahon “to put herself out of a job.”
Created by Congress in 1979, the Education Department’s primary role is to disburse money to the nation’s schools and colleges. It sends billions of dollars a year to K-12 school and oversees a $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio.
Trump argues the department has been overtaken by liberals who press their ideology on America’s schools.