President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will nominate Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education.
McMahon, a seasoned business leader and political ally, previously served as the head of the Small Business Administration (SBA) during Trump’s first term, from 2017 to 2019.
Trump praised McMahon’s qualifications and her dedication to educational reform in a statement:
“As Secretary of Education, Linda will fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice’ to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best education decisions for their families.”
Her nomination signals Trump’s intention to prioritize school choice policies that allow parents to decide where their children attend school, including charter schools and voucher programs, which have been long-standing pillars of conservative education reform.
McMahon’s nomination makes her the first returning Cabinet official from Trump’s previous administration, a testament to her loyalty and effectiveness.
During her tenure at the SBA, she modernized the agency, championed small business growth, and played a vital role in advancing Trump’s economic agenda.
Following her resignation in 2019, she took on the role of chairwoman for America First Action, a Super PAC that worked to support Trump’s policies and reelection campaign.
Currently co-leading Trump’s transition team, McMahon has been a close advisor and ally, maintaining strong ties to the President-elect throughout his time out of office.
Her experience in both government and the private sector positions her uniquely to tackle the challenges of reforming the U.S. education system.
Before entering the political arena, McMahon was best known as the co-founder and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a company she helped grow from a small startup into a global entertainment powerhouse.
Under her guidance, WWE also made efforts to support youth education, promoting arts programs and literacy campaigns.
Trump’s own ties to WWE run deep, with the former president himself participating in wrestling events and maintaining a long-standing friendship with the McMahon family.
Advancing the School Choice Agenda
Conservatives have hailed the school choice movement as a way to empower families, particularly those in underserved communities, to escape failing public schools and access better opportunities.
Critics, however, have argued that expanding school choice could divert funding away from public schools.
With McMahon’s business-savvy approach and staunch support for Trump’s vision, her leadership at the Department of Education is expected to challenge the status quo and introduce policies designed to give parents more control over their children’s education.
To shut down EPA, Education alone Bravo
“Critics, however, have argued that expanding school choice could divert funding away from public schools.”
Explain to me why a failed school should continue to be funded. Failed schools do NOT teach, they indoctrinate.
I would think that part of her new job should be to assure funds are properly spent and alocated fairly. Another job should be to see that states do not fail to maintain decent programs for all children in the states and standards do need to be set. Before it was national the schools from state to state had enormous differences and it showed. And that I noticed as a military kid who moved around enough to experience that. Sadly the department lost it’s creating principles. Too much woke filtered in!