Rand Paul schools Margaret Brennan on Education Department's utility — or lack thereof



President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to start the elimination of the Education Department, then indicated Friday that some of the department's remaining functions would immediately be offloaded onto the Small Business Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services.

These decisions have enraged various radical groups, including the teachers' unions that demanded the devastating closure of schools during the pandemic. The liberal media appears to be reflexively keen to join American Federation of Teachers boss Randi Weingarten and other leftists in defending the moribund institution, CBS News' Margaret Brennan included.

In conversation Sunday with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R), Brennan concern-mongered about the closure of the Education Department, suggesting federal funding for schools in his state might be at risk. The senator questioned the talking head's presumptions, particularly about the value of those federal funds, and proposed a possible innovation, namely that an A-team of better-paid and higher-caliber teachers could teach American students en masse.

Rather than fight for a guarantee of more federal funding, Paul underscored that he would prefer to secure "a guarantee that my kids can read and write and do math."

'Why do two-thirds of the kids not read at proficiency?'

Brennan began by suggesting that federal funds for students in high-poverty Kentucky schools through Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act might be threatened by the Education Department's closure.

"[Kentucky has] over 900 schools that have these Title I programs, which are low-income schools who need that federal subsidy to continue to operate. How are schools going to get that money if the president closes the Education Department?" asked Brennan.

Rather than identify a way of retaining such funding, Paul pointed out that this and other streams of federal funding aimed at improving student achievement don't actually appear to helping.

"I think the bigger question if we're sending all this money to Kentucky and all the other states [is] why are our scores abysmal?" said the Republican senator. "Why do two-thirds of the kids not read at proficiency? Why do two-thirds of the kids or more not have math proficiency?"

The Education Data Initiative indicated that as of February, federal, state, and local governments were blowing $857.2 billion on K-12 education annually. This works out to $17,277 per pupil. Federal tax dollars account for 13.6% of public K-12 funding nationwide.

In Kentucky, K-12 schools blow on average $15,337 per pupil, $3,195 of which is apparently from the federal government.

'The number of dollars has gone up exponentially, and our scores have gone the other way.'

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 31% of fourth-grade students and 30% of eighth-grade students nationwide performed at or above the "NAEP Proficient" level on the reading assessment in 2024.

Last year, only 39% of fourth-grade students and 28% of eighth-grade students were found to be proficient in math.

The 2019 NAEP assessment of fourth- and eighth-grade proficiency levels found that only 35% and 33% made the grade, respectively.

Scores were better in Paul's state but still far from stellar.

In Kentucky, standardized test results indicated last year that 47% of elementary students were proficient in reading, 42% of students were proficient in math, and 34% were proficient in science, reported the Louisville Courier Journal.

The assessment conducted in May found that at the middle school level, 45% of students were proficient in reading, 39% were proficient in math, and 22% were proficient in science. At the high school level, 45% were proficient in reading, 35% in math, and 6% in science.

"It's an utter failure," added Paul.

Brennan countered by intimating the problem might be that the programs receiving oodles of federal cash may have been poorly administered by regional administrators — prompting Paul to question the federal mediation of taxpayer funds intended for education in the first place.

"Look, the number of dollars has gone up exponentially, and our scores have gone the other way. So dollars are not proportional to educational success," said Paul.

"It has always been a position, a very mainstream Republican position, to have control of the schools by the states," said Paul. "Send the money back to the states, or better yet — never take it from the states. About half of our budget in Kentucky goes to education, and that's the same in a lot of states. I think we can handle it much better."

"When I talk to teachers, they chafe at the national mandates on testing they think are not appropriate for their kids," continued the senator. "They think they waste too much time teaching to national testing. The teachers would like more autonomy, and I think the teachers deserve more autonomy."

In addition to suggesting that states are better equipped to handle local education and that national educational mandates interfere with regional education efforts, Paul indicated that radical, outside-the-box thinking might be the way forward. He proposed, for instance, the rollout of online instruction by "an NBA or NFL of teachers — the most extraordinary teachers teach the entire country, if not the entire world."

This proposed A-team of teachers "might teach 10 million kids at a time because it would be presented to the internet with local teachers reinforcing the lessons," said Paul.

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Trump shifts Education Department functions to other federal agencies



President Donald Trump announced Friday that some of the Department of Education's remaining functions would be shifted to the Small Business Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services effective "immediately."

Earlier this month, the Education Department axed over 1,300 workers, which Secretary Linda McMahon called the "first step" toward dismantling the agency. She confirmed that Trump had directed her to shut down the Education Department.

'Those two elements will be taken out of the Department of Education.'

On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order to start the elimination of the Education Department.

He called the move "very historic" and "45 years in the making."

"After 45 years, the United States spends more money on education by far than any other country and spends likewise, by far, more money per pupil, and it's not even close. But yet, we rank near the bottom of the list in terms of success," Trump stated. "Closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them."

Trump announced Friday that some of the Education Department's remaining duties would be turned over to other federal agencies.

"I've decided that the SBA, the Small Business Administration headed by Kelly Loeffler, terrific person, will handle all of the student loan portfolio," Trump said.

The Education Department oversees $1.6 trillion in federally backed student loans that will now be transferred under the SBA's authority.

He noted that the federal student loan program was a "pretty complicated deal, and that's coming out of the Department of Education immediately."

"It'll be serviced much better than it has in the past," he added. "It's been a mess."

Trump also revealed that the HHS would handle programs regarding nutrition and students with special needs.

"[Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.], with the Health and Human Services Department, will be handling special needs and all the nutrition programs and everything else," Trump continued. "So I think that will work over very well."

"Those two elements will be taken out of the Department of Education," he added.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration faces a lawsuit filed last week by a group of attorneys general from 20 states and Washington, D.C. The complaint argues that Trump lacks the authority to terminate the ED.

On Thursday, Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) from California, one of the states suing the administration, said his office plans to review Trump's executive action.

"The Trump Administration knows, and even acknowledges, that the President cannot eliminate the U.S. Department of Education without Congressional approval. Yet it continues to do everything it can to destroy the Department's ability to carry out its most vital, congressionally-mandated functions – with the clearly stated 'final mission' of shuttering the Department for good," Bonta stated.

"Last week, we sued the Trump Administration over the mass firing of Department of Education workers – another step in its end goal of dismantling the Department from within. And we will continue to take all necessary legal action to protect the rights of students in California and across the nation," he added.

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Dept. of Education’s dirty little secret: It DEFIES its own law



As promised, President Trump is gearing up to slash the Department of Education, and as usual, the left is in a full-blown panic. It thrives on bloated bureaucracy.

And when you see the original legislation that created the ED, you’ll understand just how bloated and corrupt the department has become.

Glenn Beck reads from the Department of Education Organization Act of 1979 — the document that set the ED in stone.

“It is the intention of the Congress in the establishment of the Department to protect the rights of state and local governments and public and private educational institutions in the areas of educational policies and administration of programs and to strengthen and improve the control of such governments and institutions over their own educational programs and policies,” Glenn reads from Sec. 103.

“That is not what the DOE is doing,” he says.

Both he and co-host Stu Burguiere agree that while the law itself is pretty sound, the bureaucrats running the department have been doing the opposite of what it says.

“The establishment of the Department of Education shall not increase the authority of the federal government over education or diminish the responsibility for education which is reserved to the states and the local school systems and other instrumentalities of the states,” Glenn continues reading.

“This is not what the Department of Education is at all!” he exclaims, adding that he “wouldn’t necessarily have a problem” if the ED was run like the law says it should be run.

“No provision of a program administered by the Secretary or by any other officer of the Department shall be construed to authorize the Secretary or any such officer to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system, over any accrediting agency or association, or over the selection or content of library resources, textbooks, or other instructional materials by any educational institution or school system, except to the extent authorized by law,” Glenn reads.

If the ED held to the law, “Do you know how many problems would go away?” he asks.

To hear more of the conversation, watch the clip above.

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Linda McMahon vows to uproot disfunction in Education Department: ‘Listen to parents, not politicians’



Linda McMahon delivered a promising vision for America's education during her confirmation hearing Thursday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

McMahon, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to head the Department of Education, emphasized the importance of school choice and parental rights as a remedy to the declining education system in America.

'Fund educational freedom, not government-run systems. Listen to parents, not politicians. Build up careers, not college debt. Empower states, not special interests. Invest in teachers, not Washington bureaucrats.'

"November proved that Americans overwhelmingly support the president's vision, and I am ready to enact it," McMahon said. "Education is the issue that determines our national success and prepares American workers to win the future."

"The legacy of our nation's leadership and education is one that every person in this room embraces with pride," McMahon added. "Unfortunately, many Americans today are experiencing a system in decline."

McMahon pointed out that American schoolchildren are underperforming considerably in areas like math and reading. The nominee also addressed the increase in on-campus violence and student suicides.

As an antidote to the educational decline, McMahon prescribed less government intervention and emphasized the importance of empowering students, parents, and teachers rather than the bloated bureaucracy.

"Fund educational freedom, not government-run systems," McMahon said. "Listen to parents, not politicians. Build up careers, not college debt. Empower states, not special interests. Invest in teachers, not Washington bureaucrats."

"Outstanding teachers are tired of political ideology in their curriculum and red tape on their desks," McMahon added. "That's why school choice is a growing movement across the nation. It offers teachers and parents an alternative to classrooms that are micromanaged by Washington, D.C."

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Biden-Harris Administration Keeps Breaking The Law To Buy Votes From College Grads

Despite SCOTUS's ruling in Biden v. Nebraska, the White House has proven it won’t let the law get in its way of making taxpayers pay student loans.

Education Department Attacks Republicans, Touts Biden’s Agenda in Official Letter

The letter from Miguel Cardona potentially violates the Hatch Act, which prohibits partisan political activity by executive branch employees.

Biden's final Title IX regulations will bow to gender ideologues' wishes nationwide



The Biden administration has released its final Title IX regulations, effectively establishing "gender identity" as a protected class and forcing around 17,600 school districts, 5,000 post-secondary institutions, and various charter schools, for-profit schools, libraries, and museums across the nation to indulge the reality-defying identifications of the LGBT ideologues in their midst — at the expense of the very cohort the civil rights law was initially intended to help.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 has long prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs or activities.

According to the late Sen. Birch Bayh of Indiana, the Democrat who formally introduced Title IX to Congress, the idea behind the legislation was largely to "provide for the women of America something that is rightfully theirs — an equal chance to attend the schools of their choice, to develop the skills they want, and to apply those skills with the knowledge that they will have a fair chance to secure the jobs of their choice with equal pay for equal work."

Whereas in Bayh's day, Americans understood there were only two sexes requiring equal protection, Democrats today have evidently taken the philosophical position that sex is a social construct. The Biden administration — which has proven incapable of defining "woman" — has transmogrified Title IX in an apparent effort to systematically accommodate this misunderstanding.

The new rules announced by the Department of Education Friday clarify that sex discrimination now includes sexual preferences and "gender identity" and further clarify "that sex-based harassment includes harassment on these bases."

The regulations state that a school "must not separate or treat people differently based on sex in a manner that subjects them to more than de minimis harm," stressing that preventing "someone from participating in school (including in sex-separate activities) consistent with their gender identity causes that person more than de minimis harm." Such perceived harm would be grounds for litigation.

The corresponding rule, Section 106.31(a)(2), not only applies to dress and grooming codes but to locker rooms and restrooms as well. Federally funded institutions that refuse to allow men into girls' lavatories could face legal action under the revised scheme.

The Biden administration did not apply this understanding to sex-separate living facilities and sex-segregated sports teams. The DOE did, however, note that it "intends to issue a separate final rule to address Title IX's application to sex-separate athletic teams."

DOE Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement, "These final regulations build on the legacy of Title IX by clarifying that all our nation’s students can access schools that are safe, welcoming, and respect their rights."

Former Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told the National Review, "I never thought I'd see the day where Title IX would be used to harm women, but sadly, that day has come."

"The Biden Administration's radical rewrite of Title IX guts the half century of protections and opportunities for women and callously replaces them with radical gender theory, as Biden's far-left political base demanded. This regulation is an assault on women and girls," added DeVos.

All-American swim star Riley Gaines, presently suing the National Collegiate Athletics Association for allowing transvestites to invade women's sports and locker rooms, tweeted, "The Biden Admin has just officially abolished Title IX as we knew it. Now, sex = gender identity."

Gaines suggested further the new rewrite means "men can take academic AND athletic scholarships from women"; "men will have FULL access to bathrooms, locker rooms, etc"; "students and faculty MUST compel their speech by requiring the use of preferred pronouns"; and "if the guidelines above are ignored or even questioned, then YOU can be charged with harassment."

Megyn Kelly said, "These regs are a nuclear level attack on women's rights and men's due process rights. JOE BIDEN MUST GO."

DO NOT EVER LET ANY DEMOCRAT TELL YOU THEY CARE ABOUT WOMEN\u2019S RIGHTS EVER AGAIN IF THEY DO NOT STAND UP TO THIS ABOMINATION OF A TITLE IX REVISION.\n These regs are a nuclear level attack on women\u2019s rights and men\u2019s due process rights. JOE BIDEN MUST GO.
— (@)

Kelly added in a subsequent post that not only will girls be forced to share locker rooms "with aroused men who get off on posing as women," but a young man "will be stripped of his due process rights if he is accused by anyone on campus of sexual misconduct."

Kelly was referencing the Biden administration's elimination of the sexual assault due process rules put in place by the Trump administration.

Fox News Digital indicated that colleges will no longer have to hold live hearings and allow students to cross-examine one another through representatives.

Kim Shasby Jones, head of the Independent Council on Women's Sports, said, "My heart breaks. Women are facing the ultimate betrayal by the Biden administration. We can't protect, defend, or even advocate for what can't be defined. Women - 51% of the population - zero recognition under federal law. Title IX - now a weapon to remove women's rights."

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Biden's EPA finalizes 'strongest ever' emission standards for freight trucks, buses



The Biden administration's Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that it finalized the "strongest ever greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty vehicles," including freight trucks and buses.

A recent press release from the agency explained that the new restrictions will impact vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032.

"The standards will avoid 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions and provide $13 billion in annualized net benefits to society related to public health, the climate, and savings for truck owners and operators. The final standards will also reduce dangerous air pollution, especially for the 72 million people in the United States who live near truck freight routes, bear the burden of higher levels of pollution, and are more likely to be people of color or come from low-income households," the EPA claimed.

According to the agency, the strict standards will still grant trucking companies the "time and flexibility" to comply with the new restrictions.

EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan stated that the emission standards would "significantly cut pollution from the hardest working vehicles on the road."

"Building on our recently finalized rule for light- and medium-duty vehicles, EPA's strong and durable vehicle standards respond to the urgency of the climate crisis by making deep cuts in emissions from the transportation sector," Regan added.

The EPA announced last week the "strongest-ever" vehicle emission standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032, Blaze News previously reported. It claimed the clampdown would "avoid more than 7 billion tons of carbon emissions and provide nearly $100 billion of annual net benefits to society, including $13 billion of annual public health benefits due to improved air quality, and $62 billion in reduced annual fuel costs, and maintenance and repair costs for drivers."

Republicans, who are largely opposed to the EPA's new plan, called the standards on passenger vehicles an electric vehicle "mandate."

Regan denied the claims, stating that the emission regulations are "clearly" not an EV mandate because there are "multiple pathways companies can choose to comply."

The American Trucking Association, a national trade group for the trucking industry, slammed the EPA's restrictions as "entirely unachievable given the current state of zero-emission technology, the lack of charging infrastructure & restrictions on the power grid."

"We are fully committed to the road to zero emissions, but the path to get there must be paved with commonsense," the ATA continued in a post on X. "While we are disappointed with today's rule, we will continue to work with EPA to address its shortcomings and advance emission-reduction targets and timelines that are both realistic and durable, and that account for the operational realities of our industry."

In addition to freight trucks, the emission standards will also impact school buses, delivery trucks, garbage trucks, utility trucks, shuttles, ambulances, recreational vehicles, and moving vans.

Under the EPA's new rules, approximately 25% of long-haul freight trucks and 40% of medium-sized trucks could be zero-emission vehicles by 2032.

Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers' Association, told the New York Times that the EPA's restrictions will hit small business owners the hardest.

"This administration seems dead set on regulating every local mom-and-pop business out of existence with its flurry of unworkable environmental mandates," Spencer said.

The Department of Energy released an energy grid plan earlier this month to build the infrastructure for electric- and hydrogen-powered long-haul freight trucks. The administration's strategy involves installing charging and refueling stations along 12,000 miles of high-traffic roads over a 16-year period.

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Biden's DOE commits $6B to climate projects advancing DEI



The Biden administration's Department of Energy announced Monday that it would distribute $6 billion in grant funds to a number of climate projects, according to a department press release.

The funds will be dispersed to 33 projects across the country as part of Biden's "Investing in America Agenda." The grant program aims to "decarbonize energy-intensive industries, reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions, support good-paying union jobs, revitalize industrial communities, and strengthen the nation's manufacturing competitiveness."

Only projects that demonstrate a commitment to an "equitable and inclusive clean energy future" by "develop[ing] and ultimately implement[ing] a comprehensive Community Benefits Plan" are eligible. The projects must provide "meaningful community and labor engagement." The DOE will continue to evaluate the progress of the projects and may revoke eligibility for those that do not ensure adequate community benefits.

"CBPs are based on a set of four core interdependent policy priorities: engaging communities and labor; investing in America's workforce; advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; and implementing the Justice40 Initiative," according to the DOE's website.

The department's press release noted that roughly 80% of the projects "are located in a disadvantaged community, as defined by President Biden's Justice40 Initiative." The DOE argued that the investments will provide "a significant opportunity to invest in good jobs and clean air in communities that have experienced years of divestment."

The administration's Justice40 initiative requires that 40% of the overall benefit of federal climate investments goes to "disadvantaged communities."

"The quality of CBPs will impact a project's selection and ongoing evaluation throughout its lifecycle," the DOE said. "[The] phased project management approach allows the office to assess a project's viability for continuation at major project milestones."

Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm stated, "Spurring on the next generation of decarbonization technologies in key industries like steel, paper, concrete, and glass will keep America the most competitive nation on Earth."

"Thanks to President Biden's industrial strategy, DOE is making the largest investment in industrial decarbonization in the history of the United States. These investments will slash emissions from these difficult-to-decarbonize sectors and ensure American businesses and American workers remain at the forefront of the global economy," she added.

A top official for the DOE's science office, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, stepped down last week, Blaze News previously reported. During her time with the department, Berhe advanced DEI initiatives by implementing a policy requiring grant applicants to submit a plan describing how they would "promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in their research projects."

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Biden energy official steps down after pushing office to adopt DEI initiatives



Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, a top official with the United States Department of Energy, who injected the department's science office with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives during her tenure, will step down from her position at the end of the month, Fox News Digital reported.

Berhe, a professor of soil biogeochemistry, was nominated in April 2021 by President Biden to serve as the director of the Office of Science within the DOE. She was confirmed by the Senate in a 54-45 vote.

According to the DOE's website, Berhe's areas of expertise include "soil science, global change science, and political ecology with an emphasis on how the soil system regulates the earth's climate and the dynamic two-way relationship between the natural environment and human communities."

During her time as the head of science, Berhe has pushed her office to adopt "equity and inclusion" initiatives. In October 2022, Berhe implemented a policy requiring grant applicants "to submit a Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) Plan as an appendix to their proposal narrative," according to the Office of Science's website. The plan mandated applicants to describe how they would "incorporate to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in their research projects."

"The Office of Science (SC) is deeply committed to supporting diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible work, research, and funding environments that value mutual respect and personal integrity, and SC is committed to promoting people of all backgrounds, including individuals from groups and communities historically underrepresented in STEM fields and SC activities in recognition of our responsibility to serve the public," the website read.

Berhe also oversaw the adoption of two workforce diversity programs: Funding for Accelerated, Inclusive Research and Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce.

The FAIR program provided $35 million in fiscal year 2023 to advance a "diverse, vibrant, and excellent scientific workforce," Fox News Digital reported. In August, the DOE announced $37 million to "build research capacity in historically underrepresented institutions."

The RENEW program provided $56 million to "institutions historically underrepresented in the SC research portfolio."

When the initiative was announced, Berhe stated, "Science needs to hear from all American voices and the RENEW initiative will provide more opportunities to bring diverse perspectives into our disciplines."

"These new and innovative ideas will help solve the big science challenges we are facing now and in the future," she said.

In a statement to Fox News Digital regarding Berhe's upcoming exit, DOE Chief of Staff Christopher Davis said, "Under Dr. Berhe's leadership, the Office saw historic increases in funding, particularly for critical new technologies like artificial intelligence and fusion energy."

"Programs she oversaw have made critical contributions to climate science, energy breakthroughs, and the advancement of emerging technologies, all while infusing the principles of equity, inclusivity, and accessibility. The Secretary and I are grateful for Dr. Berhe's willingness to serve the American people and wish her the very best as she returns to academia," Davis remarked.

Berhe plans to return to the University of California to continue her professorship career. In her departure letter, Berhe called the role "the honor of my lifetime," Science reported. She noted that she is leaving the position with "pride in what we have accomplished, and a heavy heart filled with profound sadness and gratitude."

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