The president signed the executive order on 20 March 2025, with the directive to the U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”

As a congressionally established agency, the U.S. Department of Education can only be abolished through the U.S. Congress, which would require 60 votes in the Senate. 

Already the department has been undermined in its ability to carry out its mission through the historic workforce reduction of 50% of the staff, including the elimination of almost all personnel dedicated to the Office of English Language Acquisition.

The mandate to abolish and the workforce reduction greatly undermine the department’s ability to carry out its mission of educational excellence and access for all. The department’s role and support are especially vital for the English language teaching profession and for the millions of multilingual learners of English (MLEs) served, as it oversees funding, accountability, research, and civil rights at all levels of education for MLEs. (See more here)

We ask that you join us by taking your voice to your members of Congress, demanding that the administration ensure that the U.S. Department of Education is protected, not abolished or dismantled, and that its workforce be restored so it can carry out its mission. 

Take action today and tell your members of Congress the importance of the U.S. Department of Education for our profession and the learners and communities we serve.