VIRGINIA (DC News Now) — Just hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing the dismantling of the Department of Education (DoE), Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin expressed his support for state-led K-12 education.
While the White House acknowledges the department cannot be fully eliminated without Congress, the order tells the U.S. Secretary of Education to do everything legally allowed to shrink the federal agency.
Youngkin said the order effectively ends all taxpayer support for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and “institutions that use race and sex as a deciding factor in policies and procedure.”
“Virginia is ready to take full responsibility for K-12 education. We have implemented a high-expectations agenda that sets rigorous standards, holds schools accountable for results and prioritizes resources to the students and schools that need the most support,” he stated.
Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera supported this sentiment, stating that “Virginians know best what Virginia students need and what works here in Virginia.”
Despite this, some education advocates dispute the need for dismantling the agency.
“The Department of Education is really important,” said Jessica Giles with Education Reform Now. “It provides states and local governments with funds for schools, it enforces civil rights protection for students and it ensures there is federal student aid for those who go to school.”
