Historic Education Department Restructuring: What Changes Mean for Students and Schools

Welcome to this week's Department of Education update. The biggest story right now is that the Education Department is in the middle of a historic restructuring. As of mid-March, the department has struck nine interagency agreements with four separate cabinet-level agencies to transfer 118 programs to other federal departments. This is part of the Trump administration's broader goal to dismantle the Education Department and return education authority to states and local communities. Here's what's happening on the ground. The Department of Labor now oversees career and technical education programs. The Department of Interior manages Native American education. The State Department handles international education and foreign language initiatives. Health and Human Services now runs family engagement and school support programs, including School Emergency Response to Violence and Full-Service Community Schools. Most significantly, the Office of Federal Student Aid, which manages 1.7 trillion dollars in loans and 22 billion dollars in annual need-based scholarships, is being transferred to the Department of Treasury. This transition will happen in three phases, starting with Treasury collecting on defaulted loans. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has described these moves as an opportunity to demonstrate that the department's elimination won't sacrifice program quality. However, education advocates worry that scattering programs across agencies could cause funding delays and other problems. Beyond the restructuring, the department is pushing significant policy changes. Under Secretary Nicholas Kent recently outlined plans to overhaul the college accreditation system, which he described as stagnant and responsible for skyrocketing costs. The department is also tackling what it calls fraud and waste in federal student aid programs. Additionally, the National Center for Education Statistics is administering the 2026 National Assessment of Educational Progress in mathematics, reading, civics, and U.S. history, with five new staff members added to support the effort. For K-12 schools, states are increasingly focusing on math instruction. More states are requiring at least 60 minutes of daily math instruction and ensuring students have access to advanced courses like Algebra I by eighth grade. Schools are also prioritizing core skills like critical thinking and collaboration over rote memorization. The compliance landscape has shifted dramatically for educational institutions. Federal funding now requires certification that recipients don't operate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, with potential penalties including contract cancellation and treble damages for false certification. What this means for listeners is significant change ahead. Students should expect different loan options and modified forgiveness programs. Institutions need to navigate relationships with multiple federal agencies simultaneously. States and local communities will h