As Republicans pursue significant changes that would give charter and private schools more authority, President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of education minister clashes with the nation’s instructors unions.
McMahon even occupies the awkwardness of overseeing an organization that Trump has vowed to overlaw. Although Trump stacks his Cabinet with allies who are determined to change the way the federal government operates, she has a relatively narrow training resume.
” Like most Trump takes, as amazing as they seem, she obviously has an objective to blow up firm as usual”, said Dan Bowling, who teaches work courses at Georgia State University’s law college. ” On the other hand, the teachers unions will likely be in the sights of McMahon or anyone who negotiates with them on behalf of the Trump presidency. I think we’ll see a lot more challenging bargaining”.
The Department of Education is derided by liberals because of its close ties to professional associations like the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. Jimmy Carter, president of the United States, gave the organization its name in 1979 as a prize for the NEA’s support for him.
Then, NEA is preparing for battle, referring to McMahon as” Betsy DeVos 2.0″ in reference to Trump’s primary education minister and lashing out at her help for school choice activities.
” Parents and educators will have up to support students and reject the harmful, absurd, and disrespectful policies being pushed by the Trump administration”, NEA President Becky Pringle said. ” They will make their voices heard, just as they did by resoundingly defeating vouchers in states like Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska”.
Likewise, Democratic National Committee spokesman Alex Floyd predicted McMahon would be a “disaster” for the department.
According to Floyd,” Donald Trump wants to defund the Department of Education and funnel our tax dollars to his ultra-rich billionaire backers, like Linda McMahon.” Democrats are prepared to fight for education funding alongside students and teachers across the country, despite the reckless attacks Trump and McMahon make on our public schools.
With only 53 seats available, Republicans have virtually demanded that the Department of Education be eliminated. To do so would require 60 Senate votes, which is very unlikely.
Short of that, McMahon can take action by undoing many of the Biden administration’s initiatives, such as its student loan forgiveness programs or transgender rights-focused Title IX rewrite, according to CATO Institute scholar Neal McCluskey.
” I think you’ll see an end to mass student debt cancellation proposals, most of which have been of dubious constitutionality”, McCluskey said.
McCluskey claimed that McMahon is unusual because of her background, which is more recent and involved with business than education. McCahon served as a trustee at Sacred Heart University for two years while serving on the Connecticut Board of Education.
He claimed that her resume may fit Trump’s strategy, which is to hire administrators with business backgrounds who can reform federal agencies from within.
” From what I can tell about Linda McMahon and her connections to Trump, it’s not really a surprising pick from that standpoint”, he said.
McMahon and Trump have long-standing ties, dating back to their time at the WWE. She most recently was appointed to lead his transition team, but she also served as the leader of the Small Business Administration during his first term, and she also served as the executive director of a Trump-supportive super PAC.
At DOE, she may focus on scrapping other Biden-era moves that promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion and critical race theory, McCluskey added, while trying to push Congress to embrace school choice.
” There are lots of things she can use the bully pulpit for that she ca n’t do herself”, he said. She may consult with congressional committee members to brainstorm ideas.
WASHINGTON EXAMINER CLICK HERE TO ACCESS MORE INFORMATION
McMahon received some criticism after Trump’s announcement, but conservative education organizations like Moms for Liberty praised her.
According to Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice, “parent involvement is the number one factor in kids ‘ success in school,” and I will support the incoming Secretary in any way to make sure parents are put back in charge of their child’s education. I’m confident in the plans put forth by President Trump, but Linda has a difficult task ahead of her in battling the union’s death grip on the education industrial complex.
