Linda McMahon's first act as education secretary was to instruct staff to prepare for that “final mission.”
McMahon's missive, emailed shortly after she was sworn Monday, was just the latest thunder that federal workers, teachers and school administrators hoped for a change in the earthquake in the country's education system.
McMahon's message broadly outlined the “disturbance” over the education system that has “deep impact.” He said the change in the current situation would be “difficult.”
“This is the last and unforgettable opportunity for future generations of students to provide public services,” McMahon wrote.
“Once our final mission is complete, we all hope that you will join me by allowing us to say that we have left America's education stronger, stronger and with hope for the future.”
Trump is dull about his desire to completely abolish the department, including his recent statement that McMahon wanted him to effectively get himself out of his work.
He told reporters last month that the education division was “a big fraud job” and “want to close it down soon.” But the department is created by law, and it requires legislative actions to close it.
But until Monday night, McMahon was even more subtle in her position. During the confirmation hearing, she explained to the senator her bold vision for the future of education. This promoted more high school vocational programs, more school options and protected from university debt that protected families.
McMahon was watching her successful Senate confirmation vote on Monday from inside the secretary's office in the education department building just a few blocks from the Capitol.
When the vote ended at 6:28pm, McMahon was appointed by Jacqueline Clay, the department's chief human resources officer. By 9:29pm, she had sent her first email to about 4,200 workers in the department along with “final missions in our department.”
She used her email to explain her ambitions in harsh words.
“Patriotic education and lesson recovery” was one of her top priorities, she writes. The department “restors the correct role of national supervisors in education,” she added. She said the restoration would mean a major change in the agency's staff, budget and operations.
“We must start thinking about our final mission in the department as an overhaul, which is our last chance to restore the culture of freedom and excellence that made American education great,” she writes.
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, said she is worried that the Trump administration would like to return to an era where there is less protection for students with disabilities and students in poor districts.
“America is about progress,” Pringle said. “We're still a work going on, and my concern – and what's true concern is that we're back to a time when certain students are left in the corner somewhere and not receiving the services they need.”
McMahon also cast the department as a failed experiment, noting that he spent more than a trillion dollars since opening the door for the first time in 1980.
Department spokeswoman Maddie Biederman said McMahon will oversee the “historic overhaul” of the agency that aligns with Trump's goals.
“He's very clear about what his vision for the department looks like and Secretary McMahon made clear at the hearing that she is here to implement his agenda,” Biederman said.
Some agency officials personally said the email appears to be an attempt to undermine morale within an agency that has already been upset by the administration's aggressive overhaul. These officials, who demanded anonymity in fear of retaliation, said they believe their new bosses will either retire early or simply resign, providing a less subtle message.
Educational workers who failed to accept the resignation package offered to almost all government officials in the first weeks of the Trump administration were once again offered modest retirement on Friday. Workers who have spent 20 years at the agency and are at least 50 years old must apply for the early retirement package offered until March 25th.
Randy Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said in an interview that some of Ms McMahon's emails appeared to contradict her testimony at the confirmation hearing.
During the hearing, McMahon called for more vocational training in high schools to ensure that new graduates have the skills to “start their own business.” But in her email, she said, “higher education should be the path to a paying career that aligns with the needs of the workforce.”
“They are still trying to understand what they can and can't do, and they wouldn't be surprised if they tried to do this in 1,000 cuts,” Weingarten said. “But if they make things worse, it's going to be on their watch because parents across the country say they want help in protecting their children and don't want to smoke federal funds.”
Weingarten spoke on the phone while driving from Albany, New York to New Haven, Connecticut, and spoke at a “Day of Action” event hosted by the Teachers Union. She said that within three weeks, around 2,000 rallies, marches and other local events on Tuesday aimed at urging lawmakers not to undermine public education.
She also pointed to a series of polls last month that showed that about two-thirds of Americans were opposed to the removal of institutions. According to an NPR/PBS/Marist poll released Tuesday, 63% of respondents said they were opposed to closing their education sector.
Erica L. Green Reports of contributions.
