U.S. Public Education Faces Widespread Discontent Amid Trump’s Proposed DOE Overhaul

A recent Gallup poll indicates that a significant majority of U.S. citizens are unhappy with public education, with only a quarter expressing satisfaction with the nation’s schooling system. This dissatisfaction is the lowest recorded since the survey began in 2001, reflecting deep-seated concerns about the effectiveness and direction of the education system.

while only 16 percent of conservatives support public education, the figure is almost doubled among those leaning to the left, with 30 percent in favor. This political divide adds to the growing debate over the future of the federal education system.

Amid this discontent, President Trump has revived discussions about drastically restructuring federal education oversight. Citing poor national rankings in both performance and spending—highlighting that the school system is the highest in cost per student yet ranks at the bottom overall—Trump has floated the idea of closing the Department of Education altogether. He has criticized the agency for what he describes as mismanagement and for promoting ideologies he deems “woke” or “anti-American.”

In discussing potential changes, Trump has expressed a desire to devolve control from the federal level to the states, advocating a model where state governments take full responsibility for schooling. Despite these ambitious ideas, any proposal to shut down the Department of Education would require congressional approval, making a complete closure unlikely in the immediate future. Nonetheless, there is speculation that the President’s administration may attempt to significantly curtail the agency’s functions by transferring responsibilities to other bodies, reducing funding and staff, and eliminating key programs.