Story perspectives

Linda McMahon Returns K-12 Control to States, Targets Department Closure

By Drooid · Oct 22, 2026, 3:31 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

McMahon Calls Education Reset

Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced a hard reset of K-12 education, returning authority to states.
She said $3 trillion federal spending has not improved reading scores, which keep falling.
Only about three in ten students score proficient in math and reading on the NAEP.
McMahon pledged to dismantle the Education Department and urged Congress to vote on closing it.

Summary

Maryland Recovers Funds

Maryland’s Child Care Scholarship Program identified $66.5 million in overpayments between 2023 and 2025.
State auditors found some providers were paid twice for the same child and others never submitted invoices.
The Maryland State Department of Education recouped $4.1 million electronically and $433,429 by check by September 2025.
MSDE announced it would not pursue broad recoupments of the $66.5 million, citing system limitations.
Program funding rose 300%, from $132 million in 2022 to $560 million in 2026.

Summary

McMahon Pushes Tax Credit

Secretary Linda McMahon urged Governor Bob Ferguson to join the Education Freedom Tax Credit.
The credit offers up to $1,700 per individual or $3,400 per couple for scholarship donations.
McMahon said 31 states, including New York and Colorado, have already joined the program.
Washington missed the September deadline, risking families losing first-year benefits.
At a Spokane press conference, McMahon and Rep. Michael Baumgartner urged expanding the credit for school choice.

History

Historical Context

The 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, expanded by George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind in 2002, shifted K-12 accountability to the federal level and boosted education spending from $42.2 billion in 2001 to $55.7 billion by 2004. After bipartisan criticism led to the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act, today’s push to dismantle the Education Department revives the long-standing federal-state funding clash.

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McMahon Calls Education Reset

Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced a hard reset of K-12 education, returning authority to states.
She said $3 trillion federal spending has not improved reading scores, which keep falling.
Only about three in ten students score proficient in math and reading on the NAEP.
McMahon pledged to dismantle the Education Department and urged Congress to vote on closing it.

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