Speaking to a packed audience at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon defended the Trump administration’s plan to significantly downsize the U.S. Department of Education. She argued the current system isn’t working and called for a shift in control to states and local leaders​. 

Why it matters: McMahon is leading what may be the most sweeping overhaul of federal education policy in decades. She says the goal is to reduce bureaucracy and give more power to states. Critics warn the cuts could weaken safeguards for historically underserved students and dismantle key data and research efforts. [Education Week, subscription model] 

What she said: “We’ve just gotten to a point that we can’t keep going along doing what we’re doing. Let’s shake it up, do something different. And it’s not through bureaucracy in Washington where it happens.”

Key takeaways:

  • McMahon called for rethinking the role of the Institute of Education Sciences, which has seen sharp staffing cuts, and suggested the edtech community could help reimagine how the agency supports state-level innovation​. Notably, she affirmed support for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), describing it as essential for comparing state-by-state performance, but raised questions about whether it should be restructured​. [The 74]
  • The Department recently ordered schools to eliminate “illegal” diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or risk losing federal funding. McMahon framed the policy as anti-discrimination rather than anti-diversity but declined to offer specific definitions​​. [The Los Angeles Times] 

What’s next: McMahon acknowledged she needs Congress to approve any full shutdown of the Department. In the meantime, she said she is meeting with lawmakers from both parties and working to develop a plan that supports state-led innovation.

This article is sourced from Whiteboard Notes, our weekly newsletter of the latest education policy and industry news read by thousands of education leaders, investors, grantmakers, and entrepreneurs. Subscribe here.