Secretary of Education Linda McMahon released statements about President Trump’s recent education-related executive orders. The orders focus on accreditation reform, foreign influence at universities, school discipline policies, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), artificial intelligence education, and preparation for skilled trade jobs.
Discussing accreditation reform, McMahon stated, “America’s higher education accreditation system is broken...The existing accreditation monopoly raises costs, contributes to the ever-increasing tuition and fees faced by American families, favors legacy four-year institutions, blocks new accreditors from the market..." She emphasized the executive order's aim to accelerate the recognition of new accreditors, encouraging improvement in student outcomes.
On the topic of foreign influence, McMahon commented, “Colleges and universities have a legal duty to report foreign gifts and contracts...the Biden Administration undermined the structures the President built to do this critical work, allowing nations like China and Qatar to funnel billions of dollars to U.S. universities with little to no oversight.” She stated the Department of Education will follow the money and protect campuses from foreign propaganda.
McMahon addressed school discipline policies by stating, “A student’s success in adulthood starts with how they perform in a classroom...Today, President Trump is taking historic and commonsense action to boost school safety standards." The emphasis will be on basing disciplinary decisions on students' behavior and actions.
Regarding HBCUs, McMahon highlighted, “The White House initiative highlighted today reinforces President Trump’s commitment to supporting and elevating America’s HBCUs...I am eager to elevate and support America’s HBCUs."
Artificial intelligence education was also a focus, with McMahon noting, “As Artificial Intelligence (AI) reshapes every industrial sector, it is vitally important that the next generation of students is prepared to leverage this technology in all aspects of their professional lives.”
Finally, for trade jobs preparation, McMahon stated, “Today's Executive Order is a significant step in ensuring every American can live their American Dream...Our goal is to build on their success and align resources across the country to equip the next generation of American workers.”
