Education Secretary Linda McMahon underscored how important improving education in the United States is for the Trump administration, including ensuring all 50 states have the necessary tools to make this a reality.

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, a move that many in the Republican Party have called for and that the president has made “crystal clear” he intends to do. McMahon detailed how the Trump administration will look into different programs to assist parents with children stuck in “failing schools,” fulfilling the presidential goal of ensuring the nation’s students drastically improve their grades.

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“You know, when 70% of our students cannot read with proficiency, that’s just incredibly difficult to swallow, and he’s just not going to accept it,” McMahon said on Fox News’s Fox & Friends.

As such, McMahon expressed interest in making sure teachers are teaching the “basics” of education, such as reading and science. She then cited how states such as Louisiana and Mississippi have seen “great results” from using programs to improve their students’ grades. 

Ahead of the imminent dismantling of the Education Department, McMahon acknowledged that employees are concerned about losing their jobs. However, she noted that there are “good off-ramps” for those affected, and the Trump administration would “like to help them” find new jobs.

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McMahon was confirmed this week by the Senate in a 51-45 vote. During her confirmation hearing, she said she “wholeheartedly” agreed with Trump’s plans to abolish the Education Department and sent a memo right after her confirmation saying she would “send education back to the states.”

Last month, the Trump administration launched an “End DEI” portal on the Education Department’s website, which allows parents to report instances of diversity, equity, and inclusion at public schools. It came after Trump issued an executive order calling for an end to DEI programs in the federal government, which he signed on his first day back in the White House.