McMahon Confirmed to Head Dying Ed Department

On March 3, the full Senate confirmed Linda McMahon as President Trump’s new Secretary of Education with a 51-45 vote along party lines. In a report about her confirmation, The Hill opined that “McMahon will have to catch up quickly, as the Department of Education has undergone multiple changes in the roughly six weeks since Trump took office.” Indeed she will, as her boss on March 20 signed an executive order calling for the shutdown of the department “except for certain critical functions.”

This latest development is hardly news to McMahon, who has declared her support for Trump’s position, explaining during her confirmation hearing how she envisions a shutdown could work. She emphasized that closing the department “wouldn’t mean eliminating its funding,” and pledged to present a plan “that I think our senators could get on board with, and our Congress could get on board with.”

Microcosm of Failure:
Madison County Public School Students Can’t Read

The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), also known as the nation’s report card, paints a bleak picture of student achievement nationally, but the NAEP and other state assessments drill down to the school district level in critical subjects such as reading and math.

The research organization Wirepoints has documented Illinois’ education failures, the most evident of which have occurred in the Chicago area and have been well publicized. (See Education Reporter, October 2024.) But the problems exist statewide, and an example is the lack of student competency in reading and math at several Madison County, Illinois school districts, located just northeast of St. Louis.

The Best and Worst of Times for Homeschoolers:
Victory in Wyoming Tempered by Horrible Bill in Illinois

The Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) had reason to rejoice earlier this month when Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon ® signed HB 46, the Homeschool Freedom Act, into law. The bill was introduced in the Wyoming House by Rep. Tomi Strock, a homeschooling mom, and promoted in the state’s upper chamber by fellow homeschooling mom, Sen. Evie Brennan, who is herself a homeschool graduate.

The new law removes requirements for homeschooling families to “submit curriculum to the local school board” or to notify, report to, or obtain approval to homeschool from state or local government officials. Globe Newswire reported that HSLDA’s senior counsel, Will Estrada, advocated for Wyoming families in support of the legislation.

Activist ‘Teach-In’ at University of Michigan
Disparages Trump, Musk

A teach-in on February 12 at the University of Michigan was obviously held for the purpose of vilifying President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, describing them as “lawless, anti-democratic” extremists acting “to the detriment of the country.”

A headline for the event stated: “U.S. president and the richest man in the world are challenging constitutional precedents and about to collide with the courts.” The theme of the teach-in was presented in the form of questions: “Why is this happening? What is at stake? And what can be done about it?”