You’ve probably seen the headlines or heard the chatter. As of January 2026, the person at the helm of the U.S. Department of Education is Linda McMahon.
If that name sounds familiar, it's because she isn't your typical "career educator." She’s the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Yeah, you read that right. The woman who helped turn professional wrestling into a global juggernaut is now the 13th U.S. Secretary of Education.
The Woman in the Hot Seat
Honestly, her appointment was a massive curveball for a lot of people in the education world. She was sworn in back in March 2025 after a pretty tense 51-45 Senate confirmation vote.
McMahon isn't exactly new to the Trump administration, though. She previously ran the Small Business Administration (SBA) from 2017 to 2019. But education? That's a different beast entirely. While she did have a short stint on the Connecticut State Board of Education about 15 years ago, her background is overwhelmingly corporate.
What Does She Actually Do?
Basically, as Secretary, McMahon is the President’s right-hand person for all things school-related. She oversees a massive budget—we're talking hundreds of billions of dollars—that handles:
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- Federal Student Aid: Those FAFSA forms everyone dreads? That’s her department.
- Title I Funding: Money sent to schools with lots of low-income students.
- IDEA: Ensuring kids with disabilities get the support they need.
- Civil Rights: Making sure schools aren't discriminating based on race, gender, or disability.
But here’s the kicker: her "final mission" is kinda unusual.
The Plan to Shut It All Down
Usually, when someone takes a high-level government job, they want to grow their department. McMahon? She’s explicitly said she wants to be the last Secretary of Education.
President Trump has made it no secret that he wants to dismantle the Department of Education entirely and send all that power (and the money) back to the individual states. McMahon is the one tasked with "preparing the agency for shutdown."
It’s a wild concept. She’s essentially the CEO of a company that is trying to go out of business on purpose.
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Why the Big Change?
The argument from McMahon and her supporters is that the federal government has too much "red tape." They believe local parents and state leaders know what's better for their kids than a bureaucrat in Washington, D.C.
On her "Returning Education to the States" tour, which has been hitting all 50 states throughout late 2025 and into early 2026, she’s been pushing three main things:
- School Choice: Giving parents taxpayer money to send their kids to private or charter schools.
- Parental Rights: Letting parents have more say over what’s taught in classrooms (specifically regarding "gender ideology" and DEI programs).
- CTE (Career and Technical Education): Focusing more on trade schools and job training instead of just traditional four-year college degrees.
Is the Department Actually Gone Yet?
Nope. It’s still there.
You see, a Secretary can't just flip a switch and delete a federal agency. That takes an Act of Congress. Right now, as of mid-January 2026, the department is operating under a "continuing resolution." This basically means they have enough money to keep the lights on and keep the checks flowing to schools, but they’re in a state of limbo.
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There’s been a lot of pushback. Critics argue that if the department vanishes, civil rights protections for vulnerable students will disappear, and states with less money will see their school systems crumble.
The 2026 Budget Cuts
In her most recent appearances before House panels, McMahon proposed cutting the department’s budget by about 15%. She’s calling it "trimming the fat." Educators, on the other hand, are worried it’s more like cutting into the bone.
What This Means for You
If you’re a parent, a student, or a teacher, things feel pretty uncertain right now. But here is the reality of who is in charge of Department of Education and how it affects your daily life:
- For College Students: Federal Pell Grants and Student Loans are still active. McMahon has stated that the goal isn't to "defund" the programs, but to change who manages them.
- For K-12 Parents: You’re likely going to see more "School Choice" initiatives popping up in your state. If you live in a Republican-led state, expect more vouchers; if you’re in a Democrat-led state, things might stay the same as they fight the federal shifts.
- For Teachers: The focus is shifting toward "basic subjects"—math, reading, and history—with a lot less emphasis on social-emotional learning or diversity initiatives.
Actionable Steps to Stay Informed
Since the situation is moving fast—especially with the January 30, 2026 deadline for the current funding resolution—here’s what you should actually do:
- Check Your State’s Education Website: Since the power is shifting to the states, your local Department of Education is actually becoming more important than the federal one.
- Monitor FAFSA Deadlines: Don't let the "shutdown" talk scare you into missing financial aid deadlines. The money is still being distributed for the 2026-2027 school year.
- Follow the House Committee on Education and the Workforce: This is where the actual laws to dismantle the department will be debated. If you want to know if the department is actually going away, watch what happens in this committee.
Linda McMahon might be the one "in charge" in D.C., but the real story of 2026 is how much of that charge she’s managing to give away.