ALEC Applauds President Trump’s Executive Order to Dissolve the Department of Education
ALEC unveils new model resolution and letter campaign to support students and teachers by returning power to the states.
Arlington, VA – The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) announced their support today for President Trump’s Executive Order to dissolve the Department of Education.
“President Trump’s bold vision to shrink the federal bureaucracy within the Department of Education and restore authority to the states marks a long-overdue return of constitutional order,” said ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson. “This is the natural, unstoppable evolution of the parental empowerment movement sparked amid the pandemic lockdowns. The states are ready for it, and they’ve been clamoring for it. This executive order is a fundamental step forward in the American education revolution. We fully support President Trump’s leadership in eliminating wasteful, bureaucratic mandates that push political agendas and divert taxpayer funds away from students. By putting the states back in charge of this funding, students, families, and teachers will be put first – rather than the bloated bureaucracy in Washington, DC.”
A constant theme of President Trump’s 2024 campaign, the dissolution of the Department of Education will restore decision-making power over America’s schools to the states. This move aims to eliminate costly federal bureaucracy, reduce inefficiencies, and refocus education policy on local needs—ultimately improving student outcomes. On March 11, 2025, the ALEC Board of Directors officially adopted a model resolution endorsing this move.
“ALEC believes that policymakers should empower parents, not government bureaucrats, to direct their child’s education,” said West Virginia Senator and ALEC National Chair Patricia Rucker. “For decades, the U.S. Department of Education has steadily increased red tape and imposed one-size-fits-all mandates that neglect the unique needs of individual students. ALEC fully supports President Trump’s mission to end this wasteful bureaucracy and return education authority back to where it belongs – the states.”
Today, ALEC also launched a coalition and state legislator letter campaign advocating for the dissolution of the Department of Education, inviting its 2,000+ members to sign. This initiative builds on ALEC’s track record of successful legislative letter campaigns, including letters in support of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) as well as a letter supporting Israel and condemning the Hamas terrorist massacre on October 7, 2023.
“The U.S. Department of Education has overseen decades of stagnation in student achievement,” said Pennsylvania State Representative and ALEC Education & Workforce Development Task Force Chair Barbara Gleim. “Since the Nation’s Report Card began tracking 4th and 8th grade reading scores in 1992, average performance has declined by two points despite the department spending over $1 trillion. ALEC’s Education & Workforce Development Task Force strongly supports President Trump and Secretary McMahon’s bold efforts to dismantle this ineffective agency and restore control to states and parents, where it belongs.”