President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order today demanding that the Department of Education study where the federal government may have “overstepped” state and local control over schools, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will be responsible for investigating federal K-12 school guidelines for potential overreach, the Washington Post reports. Noting that current federal law recognizes state and local authority on schools, the order coincides with the ongoing implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act—a law signed by President Barack Obama in 2015 that returns significant education decision-making power to the states. Obama-era regulations that could be rolled back include memos advising colleges and universities on how to handle sexual assault allegations. (Guidelines allowing transgender students to use bathrooms matching their gender identity were already rescinded in February.)
The Trump administration has already tried to shrink the scope of federal education oversight through the budget, proposing $9 billion in cuts to programs including teacher training, college aid, and after-school activities for students. Conversely, the Department of Education has proposed a budget increase of $1.4 billion in funding for school choice programs.
