The Trump administration on Tuesday moved to shift key functions out of the Department of Education, transferring civil rights enforcement and special education oversight to other federal agencies.
The move accelerates President Donald Trump’s broader push to dismantle the department without congressional approval, fundamentally reshaping how federal education oversight is carried out.
Teachers, students and families could see shifts in how discrimination complaints are handled and how special education programs are overseen as responsibilities move to agencies with different mandates. For teachers, the changes reflect a rapidly evolving federal role in education that could reshape how schools engage with Washington.
Under the plan, the Department of Justice will take over enforcement of civil rights in schools and student privacy protections, while the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education programs that have long been administered within the Education Department.
The changes affect two of the department’s most critical offices. The Office for Civil Rights, which investigates complaints of discrimination in schools and colleges, is being shifted toward Justice, while the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, which manages billions in federal grants and ensures compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, will move to HHS.
The decision is the latest in a series of actions by Education Secretary Linda McMahon to scale back the department’s role. While only Congress can abolish the Education Department, McMahon has increasingly relied on interagency agreements to transfer programs to other parts of the federal government, effectively shrinking its footprint.
“The Trump Administration has been clear: as we scale back federal micromanagement when it hinders success, we are equally committed to bolstering the efficacy of federal oversight where it is essential,” McMahon said in a written statement.
How Trump’s Plan Reshapes Federal Education Oversight
The restructuring builds on more than 10 earlier agreements that have already shifted education programs to agencies such as Labor, State and HHS, as part of a strategy to reduce federal involvement in schools. The administration has framed the changes as an efficiency measure, arguing that civil rights enforcement belongs with the Justice Department and that disability programs can be better managed by a health-focused agency.
For educators, the shift could mean navigating a more fragmented federal system. Civil rights investigations, including cases involving race, sex and disability discrimination, have traditionally flowed through the Education Department, which also worked directly with districts on compliance. Special education services, meanwhile, have been overseen by an office dedicated to education policy and school systems. Moving those responsibilities may introduce new bureaucratic processes and points of contact.
Advocates warn that dispersing these responsibilities could complicate enforcement and weaken accountability. Some have raised concerns that agencies without a central education focus may not respond as quickly to school-based issues, particularly those involving classroom practices and student services.
Backlash From Advocates and Employee Unions
Civil rights groups and employee unions quickly criticized the move, arguing it undermines protections for students and creates uncertainty for educators.
Shiwali Patel, senior director of education justice at the National Women’s Law Center, said in a statement shared with Newsweek that “the illegal transfer of these offices that offer critical services is alarming,” adding the administration “would be systematically dismantling the Department of Education’s infrastructure that protects students’ civil rights and equal access to education, eroding protections for millions of students.”
Patel described the move as “a blatant attack on public education,” warning it would further confuse students and faculty after a year of restructuring, layoffs and office closures within the department. She also said the administration has pushed students “into the crosshairs of an ideological battle,” arguing that protections under laws such as Title IX and Title VI could be weakened as a result.
Rachel Gittleman, president of AFGE Local 252, which represents Education Department employees, echoed those concerns. In a statement provided to Newsweek by the union, she said the administration is “unlawfully dismantling the Education Department” and warned that the changes would leave vulnerable students without needed services or protections against discrimination.
“This isn’t efficiency — it’s chaos,” Gittleman said. “Scattering programs across six federal agencies doesn’t streamline government; it breaks it.” She added that previous agreements have already led to delays in funding and confusion for federal employees and the public.
The administration, however, has maintained that the restructuring will improve coordination and reduce bureaucracy, even as critics argue it risks disrupting services for millions of students.
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