Education's handoff tests the limits of its downsizing strategy

The US Department of Education on 16 June 2026 announced it would shift its special education and civil rights functions to other agencies, the latest move in the Trump administration's effort to dismantle the 46-year-old department, reports Government Executive. Under the new interagency agreements, or IAAs, the Department of Health and Human Services will administer programs run by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, while the Department of Justice will absorb civil rights enforcement handled by the Office for Civil Rights. The agreements follow ten earlier IAAs with the departments of Labor, HHS, Interior, State, and Treasury. Education Secretary Linda McMahon framed the changes as efficient. "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," she said. Officials stressed that OSERS retains its statutory functions and that students keep their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. DOJ will use its Civil Rights Division to investigate complaints filed under laws OCR enforces. The administration says it is returning education "back to the states," though most school oversight and funding already occur at the state and local levels. Earlier cuts roughly halved the workforce, from about 4,000 to 2,000 employees, reported Education Week. Only Congress can abolish the department, and lawmakers fully funded it for fiscal year 2026. Critics are unconvinced. Rachel Gittleman of AFGE Local 252 called the move “chaos,” warning vulnerable students would lose services. Senator Patty Murray called it “an outrageous betrayal,” and AFT President Randi Weingarten vowed to fight “in the courts, at the ballot box and in the court of public opinion."