McMahon on Day 1 launches 'final mission' to send education back to the states
FIRST ON FOX: Linda McMahon, in her first act as Secretary of Education, is informing all employees that she will lead a "momentous final mission" to send education back to the states, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital.
McMahon is sending a letter to all Department of Education (DoEd) employees on Monday evening, informing them of a "new era of accountability" as she oversees President Donald Trump's promise to dissolve the department.
"Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education—a momentous final mission—quickly and responsibly," McMahon wrote to employees in the letter that was shared first with Fox News Digital.
The secretary said that the reconstruction of the department will "profoundly" impact staff, budgets and agency operations.
Under McMahon, the department will work from three base convictions, according to her letter: that parents are the primary decision makers in their children's education, that taxpayer-funded education should refocus on "meaningful learning in math, reading, science, and history—not divisive DEI programs and gender ideology," and that post-secondary education should be a path to a well-paying career aligned with workforce needs.
"Removing red tape and bureaucratic barriers will empower parents to make the best educational choices for their children," the letter reads. "An effective transfer of educational oversight to the states will mean more autonomy for local communities. Teachers, too, will benefit from less micromanagement in the classroom—enabling them to get back to basics. "
Trump has said that his goal is to "immediately" close the DoEd and that, in the process, he wants McMahon to "put herself out of a job."
"My vision is aligned with the President's: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children," McMahon told employees on Monday evening. "The Department of Education's role in this new era of accountability is to restore the rightful role of state oversight in education and to end the overreach from Washington."
The Trump administration would need congressional approval in order to eliminate the federal department, and McMahon said that she will be partnering with the legislative branch "to determine the best path forward to fulfill the expectations of the President and the American people" in an effort to "eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy so that our colleges, K-12 schools, students, and teachers can innovate and thrive."
"As I've learned many times throughout my career, disruption leads to innovation and gets results," the secretary wrote. "We must start thinking about our final mission at the department as an overhaul—a last chance to restore the culture of liberty and excellence that made American education great."
The letter also applauded recent orders by the Trump administration to eliminate critical race theory (CRT), gender ideology, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), while "restoring patriotic education and civics" in schools.
"This review of our programs is long overdue," McMahon said. "The Department of Education is not working as intended. Since its establishment in 1980, taxpayers have entrusted the department with over $1 trillion, yet student outcomes have consistently languished."
"American education can be the greatest in the world. It ought not to be corrupted by political ideologies, special interests, and unjust discrimination. Parents, teachers, and students alike deserve better," McMahon wrote in the letter.
The secretary, who was confirmed by the Senate on Monday evening, encouraged employees to join the mission.
"This is our opportunity to perform one final, unforgettable public service to future generations of students," she said. "I hope you will join me in ensuring that when our final mission is complete, we will all be able to say that we left American education freer, stronger, and with more hope for the future."
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for further comment but did not immediately hear back.
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