President Trump signed an executive order April 26 stating that his administration’s policy is to “protect and preserve state and local control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, and personnel of educational institutions, schools, and school systems,” and directing Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to review all Department of Education regulations and guidance to make sure they comply with laws that prohibit federal interference with areas of education subject to state and local control.
The secretary has 300 days to publish any proposed revisions to regulations that result from her review or to withdraw or modify guidance that she finds are inconsistent with statutory prohibitions against federal interference in education.
At a White House ceremony accompanying the signing, Secretary DeVos said, “It has been all of our experience that those closest to the problem are best equipped to solve it. That means empowering parents, teachers, state and local leaders—not the federal government.”