Trump Has Ordered The Dismantling Of The Us Education Department. Here's What That Means

President Donald Trump's order calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Education Department has complex implications.

The Republican president has argued the federal office hasn't improved student outcomes and is unnecessary in a country where states and local districts primarily control education from funding to hiring and curriculum.

For decades, right-wing activists have called for eliminating the agency, which was created by Congress in 1979. As Trump remakes the federal government, he has assailed the department as wasteful and responsible for spreading "woke" ideas such as programs to support diversity, equity and inclusion and protections for transgender students.

The department has been largely responsible for oversight, enforcing discrimination laws and distributing aid money for schools with low-income students and students with disabilities. Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets, roughly 14.

What Trump's order means for American children and teachers