Secretary Linda McMahon Charts a Course for the Future of Education at 2025 ALEC Annual Meeting

At the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Secretary of Education Linda McMahon delivered an encouraging address outlining her forward-thinking approach to reshaping the future of American education. In conversation with ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson, Secretary McMahon reflected on the path forward for the Department of Education, and her bold vision for decentralizing federal oversight and restoring state and local innovation.

In alignment with President Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education and return education authority to the states, McMahon stressed that reform does not mean abandoning critical programs, but that student loans, nutritional assistance, and civil rights protections will be transitioned to agencies with the expertise to manage them more effectively.

From the start, Secretary McMahon acknowledged the legal and political hurdles of fully closing the U.S. Department of Education, which was statutorily established and therefore requires an act of Congress to be dissolved.

“Some senators have reminded me that they are reluctant to provide that vote right now,” she noted. In response, she’s pursued a strategic path: moving programs out of the Department of Education and demonstrating their effectiveness in other federal institutions.

“I really believe that the parts of the Department of Education can be better funneled through other agencies,” McMahon explained. “Let’s take it piece by piece. Let me prove to you how we can work better.”

A prime example of McMahon’s reform strategy is her partnership with the Secretary of Labor to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that aligns elements of education policy like workforce development with the Department of Labor’s existing systems and expertise.

“Their whole responsibility is to develop a workforce,” said McMahon, “We need to have that pathway all through school to get to a job because ultimately we have to work to support our families.”

This approach is already producing results. McMahon pointed to initiatives such as dual-enrollment programs in Indiana, championed by Governor Mike Braun, that allow high school students to earn college credits early, reducing the cost of higher education and better preparing students for the workforce. McMahon believes that demonstrating these efficiencies will offer a compelling case to legislators.

“It will be in chunks like that,” she explained. “To show how this has moved. It’s more economical. It’s more efficient. We’ve taken away all this other regulation.”

One of the most notable areas of reform is the student loan system. She described her conversations with Secretary of the Treasury Scott Besant focused on transferring federal student loan oversight to the Treasury Department, where she believes it rightly belongs.

“The Department of Education should not be a bank,” McMahon stated. “It isn’t a bank. Let’s have a bank do it.”

Nelson praised McMahon’s strategic mindset and her commitment to interdepartmental collaboration.

“Hearing you talk about the MOU you have with the Department of Labor and how you’re going to work together just makes me think this transition is in good hands,” Nelson said. “It’s certainly one of the most collaborative cabinet-level strategies we’ve seen in recent history.”

As the session closed, Nelson thanked Secretary McMahon for her visionary leadership.

“It is just such an honor and a privilege to have you as our opening speaker for ALEC’s 52nd Annual Meeting. We appreciate all you’re doing.”

ALEC is actively supporting this federal initiative to restore educational authority to the states. Members recently approved a model resolution, and state legislators are encouraged to join ALEC in signing this letter in support of President Trump’s executive order to shrink the Department of Education and return education policy to state governments.