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President Trump’s dismantling of the Education Department, explained

FILE: People gather to protest against US President Donald Trump and his senior advisor Elon Musk after Trump has signed a presidential decree to abolish the US Department of Education in Washington, United States on March 21, 2025.
Fatih Aktas
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Getty Images
FILE: People gather to protest against US President Donald Trump and his senior advisor Elon Musk after Trump has signed a presidential decree to abolish the US Department of Education in Washington, United States on March 21, 2025. It is announced that the department will be completely abolished and education will be handed over to the states.

President Trump has signed an executive order that will begin eliminating the Education Department.

And while most experts agree that it would require an act of Congress to scrap the department entirely, significant workforce reductions have already begun.

The White House says that these actions will save money and improve student test scores. But critics say that vulnerable students, rural communities, and teachers will be left in a lurch.

This hour, we're joined by former United States Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona. We'll explore what a future with no Education Department looks like for students and schools in Connecticut and beyond.

GUESTS:

Follow President Trump's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education.

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Chloe is a producer for The Wheelhouse and Where We Live at Connecticut Public. She's also the host and a producer of the narrative podcast 'Generation Gilmore Girls.' Before that, she produced and reported for VPM and Story Mechanics on the investigative podcast 'Admissible: Shreds of Evidence.' She earned her master's degree from Columbia Journalism School in 2021. Reach her at cwynne@ctpublic.org.
Catherine is the Host of Connecticut Public’s morning talk show and podcast, Where We Live. Catherine and the WWL team focus on going beyond the headlines to bring in meaningful conversations that put Connecticut in context.