Education Secretary Calls for 'Reset' in Public Education Amid Declining Scores

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has called for a fundamental "reset" of the nation's public education system, citing decades of federal investment totaling $3 trillion that has coincided with declining reading and proficiency scores.

"We've spent this $3 trillion that you referenced, and we've watched scores continue to come down. So we're doing something wrong. We need to reset," McMahon stated in an interview with Fox News Digital. She emphasized the Trump administration's belief that education is most effective when it involves parental participation and is managed at the local level.

"Our goal is to make sure that we move administrative programs that focus more on adults out of Washington, D.C., so that we can get all of those dollars back into education in the states," McMahon added. This stance aligns with the administration's broader initiative to decentralize federal education authority and empower parents.

McMahon's comments came during a visit to Utah, where she delivered a speech titled "The Next 250: K-12 Education." She noted that national test results, often referred to as the nation's report card, show that only about three in 10 students perform at or above the proficient level in math and reading. The Department of Education has undertaken a 50-state tour to promote the return of education authority to the states and the expansion of school choice programs.

"In every decision we make, we are not asking what’s better for growing government power, ideological agendas, or bureaucrats’ careers. We are returning education to its most basic obligation: to nurture the God-given potential of our children," McMahon told attendees at American Preparatory Academy.

She observed that parental involvement in education saw an increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, as parents gained greater insight into their children's curricula. "Parents, for the first time, could see what was going on with education, with the curriculum that was being taught to their children," McMahon said. "They became involved, they became concerned, and they started going to school board meetings."

As part of an effort to reduce federal oversight, the Department of Education has entered into interagency agreements. One such agreement with the Treasury Department transfers certain responsibilities for managing federal student loans, including collections on defaulted loans, away from the Education Department. These partnerships are intended to serve as a "proof of concept" to demonstrate that federal education tasks can be reallocated, potentially paving the way for Congress to approve the closure of the Department of Education.

"I've asked Congress, with this proof of concept and these interagency agreements: Let me prove to you that it works," McMahon said. "I know, ultimately, Congress has to vote if we do close the Department of Education and if I, in fact, am able to fire myself. Hopefully, they will vote for it because I believe the outcome will be better for students – and that is the goal."

McMahon further explained that the federal agency often functions primarily as a conduit for funding, rather than dictating local school curricula, a distinction she feels is often misunderstood by the public. "The goal is to get rid of the bureaucracy of education that seems to focus more on adults and not on children's performance," she concluded.

Following her Utah visit, McMahon's speaking series is scheduled to continue with stops in Nevada, Arizona, and Tennessee, addressing topics such as rising higher education costs and workforce Pell grants, with a final keynote in Tennessee focusing on restoring accountability and standards in higher education.