WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a sweeping set of moves that could redefine the federal role in American education, the U.S. Department of Education unveiled a series of major leadership appointments and cross-agency partnerships this past week—part of what officials describe as an unprecedented structural shift aimed at dismantling layers of bureaucracy and returning more decision-making power to states, families, and local institutions.
The announcements, delivered over three consecutive days, highlight the Trump Administration’s stepped-up effort to realign federal education authority, shrink administrative sprawl, and overhaul programs that policymakers say have drifted far from the needs of students, workers, and taxpayers. From new governance of national assessments to the redistribution of entire portfolios of federal programs, the changes represent one of the most aggressive reorganizations of U.S. education oversight since the Department of Education became a Cabinet-level agency in 1980.
On November 17, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon appointed former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant to the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), the influential body responsible for overseeing the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), better known as The Nation’s Report Card. The appointment fills one of two governor-designated seats reserved for members of different political parties and is expected to carry significant weight as debates over academic standards and literacy intensify nationwide.
The next day, the Department announced six interagency agreements (IAAs) with the Departments of Labor, Interior, Health and Human Services, and State—agreements framed as the first step toward breaking up the federal education bureaucracy and distributing authority to agencies deemed “best positioned” to administer specific education programs. The changes span K-12 education, higher education, Indian education, child care access for student-parents, foreign medical accreditation, and international studies.
By November 19, Secretary McMahon and Under Secretary Nicholas Kent convened a high-profile roundtable at the White House, drawing university leaders, think tank representatives, and education advocates to dissect what they called the unsustainable administrative expansion and “low-value program proliferation” across America’s higher education landscape.
Together, the developments mark a pivotal moment for federal education governance—one defined by aggressive decentralization, interagency coordination, and an explicit push to refocus the system on workforce readiness, academic rigor, transparency, and return on investment.
Bryant Joins NAGB During a Political and Academic Crossroads
Governor Phil Bryant’s appointment to the National Assessment Governing Board signals a renewed emphasis on state-led reforms and literacy-focused policy. Secretary McMahon highlighted Bryant’s central role in the so-called “Mississippi Miracle,” the state’s widely celebrated literacy turnaround credited to reforms initiated during his administration.
“Governor Bryant brings an important state perspective to the National Assessment Governing Board,” McMahon said. “During his tenure, he signed Mississippi’s Literacy-Based Promotion Act into law, which kicked off the state’s remarkable literacy growth.”
Bryant’s record includes sweeping reforms spanning early childhood education, teacher pay, charter school expansion, special education, career-technical training, and initiatives supporting prospective public school teachers. His administration’s literacy reforms—particularly teacher training in phonics-based reading instruction and structured supports for struggling readers—garnered national attention for producing some of the fastest literacy gains in the country.
His appointment is McMahon’s fourth this year, following Kymyona Burk, Michael Sidebotham, and Scott Marion. Remaining vacancies are expected to be filled in the coming months, potentially setting a new ideological tone for the board that determines NAEP achievement levels, testing priorities, and assessment content.
For NAEP—whose results are widely viewed as the most authoritative measure of U.S. student performance—the leadership shift arrives at a moment of heightened concern over declining test scores, persistent achievement gaps, and debates over curriculum, accountability, and pandemic-related learning disruptions.
Federal Education Bureaucracy Targeted for Structural Overhaul
On November 18, the Department of Education announced six new interagency agreements that together represent one of the most sweeping redistributions of federal education functions in decades. The stated goal: break up a system officials argue has become too centralized, duplicative, and disconnected from both student needs and state authority.
“The Trump Administration is taking bold action to break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states,” Secretary McMahon said. “Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission.”
The agreements partner ED with the Departments of Labor, Interior, Health and Human Services, and State to administer programs across K-12 education, higher education, Indian education, child care for student-parents, and foreign medical school accreditation. The Department frames these partnerships as a way to streamline federal operations, reduce administrative burdens on states and institutions, and improve outcomes by allowing agencies with field-specific expertise to manage relevant programs.
Elementary and Secondary Education Partnership (ED & DOL)
Under this arrangement, the Department of Labor will assume a larger role in administering federal K-12 programs, integrating them with workforce and college-readiness initiatives. Officials say the alignment aims to reduce fragmentation and create consistent pathways from early education through career.
“Parents and community leaders understand how important training and education are for students from all walks of life,” said Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
Postsecondary Education Partnership (ED & DOL)
With a persistent national shortage of nearly 700,000 skilled workers, DOL will also take on broader responsibility for managing postsecondary education grants, including those authorized under the Higher Education Act. Supporters argue the shift will better connect higher education funding with labor-market demand.
Indian Education Partnership (ED & DOI)
The Department of the Interior will now administer ED’s Indian Education programs, covering K-12, higher education, vocational rehabilitation, and career-technical training.
“Under President Donald Trump, Native American education programs will become stronger, more accountable, and fully dedicated to ensuring Native students are prepared for success,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Foreign Medical Accreditation Partnership (ED & HHS)
HHS will oversee the work of the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation, applying its medical and scientific expertise to ensure foreign medical schools meet rigorous U.S. standards.
Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Partnership (ED & HHS)
This partnership aims to streamline child care support for student-parents, integrating ED’s CCAMPIS program into HHS’s existing child care infrastructure.
“The Trump Administration is streamlining unnecessary bureaucracy and cutting red tape to allow us to serve more student-parents,” said Alex J. Adams, Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families.
International Education and Foreign Language Studies Partnership (ED & State)
The Fulbright-Hays program, long criticized for administrative complexity, will shift to the Department of State, aligning foreign study programs with national security and diplomatic priorities.
“Shifting the administration of these programs to the Department of State will help advance President Trump’s agenda,” said Under Secretary of State Sarah Rogers.
Collectively, these agreements redistribute substantial components of the Department of Education’s mission. Supporters say the partnerships will modernize program administration, reduce duplicative oversight, and empower states. Critics are likely to question whether the moves dilute educational expertise or fragment program administration across too many federal entities—debates expected to intensify as implementation unfolds.
White House Roundtable Calls Out “Administrative Bloat” and Low-Value Degrees
On November 19, Secretary McMahon and Under Secretary Nicholas Kent led a White House roundtable titled “Administrative Bloat and Low-Value Programs: How U.S. Universities are Failing American Families and How They Can Reform.”
The gathering brought together leaders from public colleges, emerging institutions, technical schools, advocacy groups, and policy organizations. Participants focused on what they called the unsustainable costs and declining return on investment associated with many U.S. degree programs.
McMahon cited dramatic tuition increases, low earnings outcomes for certain credentials, and the proliferation of DEI programs and administrative layers as key drivers of public distrust.
“Staggering increases in tuition rates, dismal earnings outcomes for many degrees, and wasteful spending on armies of administrators and DEI programs all underline the urgent need for bold reforms,” she said.
Officials also highlighted elements of President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a legislative proposal aimed at reshaping higher education. Key components include:
- Workforce Pell Grants for short-term, career-focused programs
- New borrowing caps to reduce excessive student debt
- Tighter accountability for institutions with low-value degrees
- Reforms to repayment plans
- A stronger link between credentials and labor-market outcomes
Under Secretary Kent described the reforms as essential to restoring public confidence.
“We are moving swiftly to implement long-overdue reforms for borrowers and taxpayers,” he said.
Participants included state and institutional leaders from West Virginia, Texas, Florida, and the University of Austin—figures who have been prominent in national conversations about academic politics, accountability, and state-driven reforms.
A System in Transition
The week’s announcements collectively represent a dramatic reorientation of federal education policy. Beyond individual appointments and program transfers, the underlying strategy signals a broader recalibration of the federal role: less centralized control in Washington, greater involvement from specialized agencies, and increased emphasis on measurable outcomes, efficiency, and state-driven reform.
Advocates for decentralization say the approach will redirect federal education dollars toward practical outcomes and reduce the administrative overhead that institutions and states have long criticized. They argue that workforce alignment, literacy improvements, tribal self-determination, and foreign program accountability benefit from being overseen by agencies with deeper domain expertise.
Opponents are expected to voice concerns about the fragmentation of federal educational oversight, potential coordination challenges, and the risk that specialized agencies may prioritize their own missions—labor, diplomacy, health—over educational equity or academic quality.
A Pivotal Moment for Federal Education Governance
As Secretary McMahon continues her nationwide 50-state tour gathering feedback on K-12 and higher education reform, the Administration’s direction is clear: drastically reduce the size and scope of the federal education apparatus, elevate state authority, and tether educational programs more closely to workforce needs and national priorities.
Governor Bryant’s appointment to NAGB aligns with the broader push for literacy and academic rigor. The sweeping interagency agreements chart a structural roadmap for reassigning federal education responsibilities. And the high-level roundtable at the White House underscores a renewed focus on institutional accountability and the financial value of a college degree.
Whether these reforms will fundamentally transform American education—or provoke new clashes over federal authority—may depend on how effectively the interagency partnerships operate in the coming year.
But for now, Washington has made its intentions unmistakable: the era of federal education consolidation is ending, and a new phase of decentralization, restructuring, and recalibration has begun.
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