Written by: Daniel Rhodes
On March 3, the Senate confirmed Linda McMahon as the Secretary of Education. McMahon is best known for co-founding and serving as CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and serving as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration during President Trump’s first term. Although McMahon’s background may appear unconventional, she also cites her studies in pursuit of a teaching certificate, her year-long membership on the Connecticut State Board of Education, and her tenure as a university trustee. Former colleagues argue that she brings valuable skills to the Department of Education (DoEd), including her managerial style and ability to learn from subject-matter experts to best serve in her role.
McMahon’s recent confirmation reinvigorated concerns among parents and disability rights organizations. Because both Trump and McMahon desire to dissolve the DoEd, they worry that statutory protections such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will quickly erode. The IDEA authorizes federal funding to help provide children with disabilities a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment possible. One of its most impactful provisions is the individualized education program (IEP), which requires schools to collaborate with parents on an educational plan tailored to each child with disabilities. In Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, the Supreme Court held that in developing and implementing each IEP, schools must take reasonably calculated steps to enable the child’s progress. Because appropriate progress differs by the unique needs of each child, IEP implementation requires substantial subject-matter expertise.
During her confirmation hearing, McMahon explained that the Trump Administration does not seek to defund the IDEA or other statutory programs; rather, it aims to improve their efficiency. As part of this efficiency initiative, McMahon suggested that the IDEA’s funding provisions could be better managed by the Department of Health and Human Services, which administered the IDEA before the DoEd’s creation. Disability rights advocates such as the National Center for Learning Disabilities warn that reallocating funding to an agency lacking necessary experience with state education systems will hinder disbursement of federal funding for students with disabilities. On Tuesday, March 11, the DoEd announced a reduction in force, terminating nearly half of its staff. Appearing on The Ingraham Angle later that day, McMahon claimed that the reduction will not affect disbursement of funding for statutory programs, including the IDEA. During the same interview, McMahon could not define what the “IDEA” acronym stands for, deepening public anxiety about the future of education under her leadership.
In her confirmation hearings, McMahon would not commit to “vigorous enforcement” of the IDEA but did agree that schools should have some form of accountability. She suggested that the DoEd’s Office of Civil Rights, responsible for enforcement of the IDEA, should be relocated to the Department of Justice to improve efficient enforcement. However, in his first week in office, President Trump implemented a freeze on the Department of Justice’s pursuit of civil rights litigation. Transferring enforcement responsibility would likely hinder IDEA enforcement. As IDEA violations will impact children’s educational outcomes, parents and disability advocates fear the possible implications of relocating its funding and enforcement provisions. Supporters of the move note that parents retain other options for relief, including a private right of action. Parents may also place their children in private school and seek tuition reimbursement from public school districts that fail to provide free appropriate public education.
On January 29, President Trump issued an executive order directing his Administration to begin prioritizing private education options. McMahon fully supports scholarship or voucher programs that allow parents to use federal education dollars at private schools of their choice. McMahon also acknowledged that private schools that do not directly receive federal funding are not obligated to accept students with disabilities. Where private schools receive federal funds through a voucher system, they could still refuse students based on their disability status.
In February, the DoEd began terminating all grants awarded under the Teacher Quality Partnership Program and Supporting Effective Educator Development Program. The programs direct the DoEd to award competitive funding for training highly qualified teachers, including instruction on how to best serve students with disabilities. On March 10, a federal district court issued a temporary restraining order that required McMahon to reinstate the cancelled grants. The next day, the government indicated its intent to appeal the decision, causing further uncertainty about the future of programs designed by Congress to support students with disabilities.
Despite President Trump and Secretary McMahon’s desire to eliminate the DoEd, such action would require congressional approval. McMahan and other proponents of school choice continue to support Trump’s plans to dismantle the Department. However, disability rights groups and parents argue that governmental efficiency initiatives should not outweigh the needs of students with disabilities. For now, students with disabilities and their families continue to face uncertainty about the stability and scope of federal education protections.
Sources:
20 U.S.C. §§ 1022–1022h, 1400–1482, 6672.
Defendants’ Status Report, California v. U.S. Dep’t of Educ., No. 25-cv-10548 (D. Mass. Mar. 11, 2025).
Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, 580 U.S. 386 (2017).
Exec. Order No. 14191, 90 Fed. Reg. 8859 (Feb. 3, 2025).
The Ingraham Angle, Education Secretary Says Department Took First Steps to Eliminate ‘Bureaucratic Bloat’, FOX NEWS (Mar. 11, 2025).
Sarah N. Lynch, US Justice Department Freezes its Civil Rights Litigation, REUTERS (Jan. 22, 2025, 8:27 PM).
Jonaki Mehta, Linda McMahon Led WWE and the SBA. The U.S. Education Dept. May Be Next, NAT’L PUB. RADIO (Feb. 8, 2025, 5:00 AM).
Memorandum and Order on Plaintiff States’ Motion for Temporary Restraining Order, California v. U.S. Dep’t of Educ., No. 25-cv-10548 (D. Mass. Mar. 10, 2025).
Nomination of Linda McMahon to serve as Secretary of Education: Hearing Before the S. Comm. on Health, Educ., Lab. & Pensions, 119th Cong. (2025).
Press Release, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Education Initiates Reduction in Force (Mar. 11, 2025).
Jacqueline Rodriguez, Statement on the Confirmation Hearing of Linda McMahon, NAT’L CTR. FOR LEARNING DISABILITIES (Feb. 14, 2025).
Tim Walker, What We Learned from Linda McMahon’s Confirmation Hearing, NAT’L EDUC. ASS’N TODAY (Feb. 14, 2025).