Can the President Shut Down the Department of Education?

On March 20, President Trump signed E.O. 14242, Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities, which directs the Secretary of Education to take steps to “facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” The subject of intense controversy, E.O. 14242 raises important questions about executive power, the role of Congress, and the future of federal education programs.

Join us for a discussion about the legal implications of dismantling the Department of Education and the potential consequences for education policy.

Featuring:

Jonathan Butcher, Will Skillman Senior Research Fellow in Education Policy at the Heritage Foundation

Michael Petrilli, President of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute

David Randall, Director of Research at the National Association of Scholars

Kent Talbert, Investigative Counsel, U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce; former General Counsel to the U.S. Department of Education

[Moderator] Robert S. Eitel, President and Co-Founder of the Defense of Freedom Institute; former Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Education from 2017-2020