The Department of Education (ED) announced two more partnerships on Monday designed to “further break up the federal education bureaucracy.”
The partnerships are called interagency agreements (IAAs) and delegate certain responsibilities to other federal agencies. The move is part of the Education Department’s efforts to adhere to President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for ED’s dismantling. Officially ending the department would take an act of Congress, as it was Congress that created it 45 years ago under President Jimmy Carter, but the agency has been looking for ways to decentralize its power and slash its workforce while waiting on GOP lawmakers to deliver on Trump’s campaign promise.
The new IAAs are with the Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The State Department will work with ED to “improve the accuracy and transparency of foreign gift and contract reporting for certain domestic public and private institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States,” the department said. HHS will work on family engagement and school support, taking a larger role in administering the School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV), School Safety National Activities, Ready to Learn Programming, Full-Service Community Schools, Promise Neighborhoods, and Statewide Family Engagement Centers.
“As we continue to break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states, our new partnerships with the State Department and HHS represent a practical step toward greater efficiency, stronger coordination, and meaningful improvement,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement.
“Foreign gift data reported by universities should be readily accessible to our top national security experts, allowing for proactive and decisive action to protect America’s critical interests, as this partnership with State enables. By leveraging HHS’s extensive emergency preparedness capabilities, we are creating a stronger foundation for supporting students and strengthening the safety of the school building. Together, these efforts strengthen accountability and security in our education system, ensuring it serves students and families above all else,” McMahon added.
ED entered into seven IAAs last year with the Department of Labor, Department of Interior (DOI), HHS, and the State Department.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
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