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Trump reportedly considering executive order to shut down Department of Education

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From MXMNews

Quick Hit:

President Trump is reportedly weighing an executive order to significantly reduce the Department of Education’s functions, with the ultimate goal of abolishing the agency altogether. According to the Wall Street Journal, the move would be part of a broader effort to downsize the federal government and return control over education to the states.

Key Details:

  • The proposed executive order would dismantle most of the Department of Education’s operations, though functions mandated by federal law would remain.

  • Trump has consistently criticized the department, pledging during his campaign to eliminate it, stating at a September rally in Wisconsin that heā€™s ā€œdyingā€ to get back in office to ā€œeliminate the federal Department of Education.ā€

  • Education Secretary-designate Linda McMahonā€™s confirmation process may influence the timing of the order, as some officials reportedly prefer waiting until after her Senate hearing to avoid complicating her nomination.

Diving Deeper:

President Trump is considering an executive order aimed at gutting the Department of Education, with plans to push for legislation to abolish the agency entirely, according to a Wall Street JournalĀ reportĀ published Monday. The reported discussions within the Trump administration reflect the presidentā€™s long-standing campaign promise to reduce the size of the federal government and shift educational authority back to the states.

The potential executive order would target nearly all functions of the Department of Education, though programs explicitly required by statute would remain under its jurisdiction. Other responsibilities might be reassigned to different federal agencies. Importantly, while an executive order could scale back the departmentā€™s operations, fully dismantling it would require an act of Congress.

The Wall Street Journal also noted that Elon Musk, serving as the Department of Government Efficiency chief, is involved in plans for significant federal budget cuts, with the Education Department among the primary targets. A White House officialĀ toldĀ the New York Post that Trumpā€™s administration is committed to “reevaluating the future of the Department of Education” to fulfill his campaign promises.

Throughout his campaign and presidency, Trump has been vocal about his opposition to the department. At a September rally in Wisconsin, he declared, ā€œWe will drain the government education swamp and stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate Americaā€™s youth with all sorts of things that you donā€™t want to have our youth hearing.ā€ In a December interview with Time magazine, he mentioned plans for at least a ā€œvirtual closureā€ of the department.

Internal discussions reportedly include concerns about the timing of the executive order, particularly regarding Education Secretary-designate Linda McMahonā€™s Senate confirmation. Some officials fear that announcing such a sweeping move before her hearing could jeopardize her nomination. When Trump nominated McMahon last November, he emphasized her role in shifting education policy back to state control, stating, ā€œWe will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and LINDA will spearhead that effort.ā€

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Education

Our Kids Are Struggling To Read. Phonics Is The Easy Fix

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From the Frontier Centre for Public Policy

By Michael Zwaagstra

One Manitoba school division is proving phonics works

If students donā€™t learn how to read in school, not much else that happens there is going to matter.

This might be a harsh way of putting it, but itā€™s the truth. Being unable to read makes it nearly impossible to function in society. Reading is foundational to everything, even mathematics.

Thatā€™s why Canadians across the country should be paying attention to whatā€™s happening in Manitobaā€™s Evergreen School Division. Located in the Interlake region, including communities like Gimli, Arborg and Winnipeg Beach, Evergreen has completelyĀ overhauledĀ its approach to reading instructionā€”and the early results are promising.

Instead of continuing with costly andĀ ineffectiveĀ methods like Reading Recovery and balanced literacy, Evergreen has adopted a structured literacy approach, putting phonics back at the centre of reading instruction.

Direct and explicit phonics instruction teaches students how to sound out the letters in words. Rather than guessing words from pictures or context, children are taught to decode the language itself. Itā€™s simple, evidence-based, and long overdue.

In just one year, Evergreen schools saw measurable gains. A research firm evaluating the program found that five per cent more kindergarten to Grade 6 students were reading at grade level than the previous year. For a single year of change, thatā€™s a significant improvement.

This should not be surprising. The science behind phonics instruction has been clear for decades. In the 1960s, Dr. Jeanne Chall, director of the Harvard Reading Laboratory, conducted extensiveĀ researchĀ into reading methods and concluded that systematic phonics instruction produces the strongest results.

Today, this evidence-based method is often referred to as the ā€œscience of readingā€ because theĀ evidenceĀ overwhelmingly supports its effectiveness. While debates continue in many areas of education, this one is largely settled. Students need to be explicitly taught how to read using phonicsā€”and the earlier, the better.

Yet Evergreen stands nearly alone. Manitobaā€™s Department of Education does not mandate phonics in its public schools. In fact, it largely avoids taking a stance on the issue at all. This silence is a disservice to studentsā€”and itā€™s a missed opportunity for genuine reform.

At the recent Manitoba School Boards Association convention, Evergreen trustees succeeded in passing an emergencyĀ motionĀ calling on the association to lobby education faculties to ensure that new teachers are trained in systematic phonics instruction. Itā€™s a critical first stepā€”and one that should be replicated in every province.

Itā€™s a travesty that the most effective reading method isnā€™t even taught in many teacher education programs. If new teachers arenā€™t trained in phonics, theyā€™ll struggle to teach their students how to readā€”and the cycle of failure will continue.

Imagine what could happen if every province implemented structured literacy from the start of Grade 1. Students would become strong readers earlier, be better equipped for all other subjects, and experience greater success throughout school. Early literacy is a foundation for lifelong learning.

Evergreen School Division deserves credit for following the evidence and prioritizing real results over educational trends. But it shouldnā€™t be alone in this.

If provinces across Canada want to raise literacy rates and give every child a fair shot at academic success, they need to follow Evergreenā€™s leadā€”and they need to do it now.

All students deserve to learn how to read.

Michael ZwaagstraĀ is a public high school teacher and a senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

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Alberta

Province pumping $100 million into Collegiates and Dual-Credit hands-on learning programs

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Albertaā€™s government is helping students discover their skills and interests today, to help them find careers for tomorrow.

If passed, Budget 2025 will provide more than $100 million over three years for school boards to grow career education programs, including funding for more collegiate and dual-credit programs across Alberta.

ā€œWe are working to set students up for success by strengthening job-focused education. This money is helping schools partner with businesses, universities and colleges to create programs that will help students hit the ground running after they graduate.ā€

Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education

Career education helps students gain credits towards graduation while earning hands-on experience in fields like the trades, computer programming, health care, agriculture, culinary arts and more. These career education programs support a strong economy by helping students learn the skills they need to get in-demand jobs.

Collegiate schools

Collegiate schools work with businesses, universities and colleges to offer classes that give students pathways to education and careers in the job of their choice. There are 12 collegiate schools in Alberta, offering many different types of programming for grades 7-12, including aviation, graphic design, trades and more.

If passed, Budget 2025 provides more than $21 million to school boards to help fund special classrooms like carpentry workshops, film and media rooms, science laboratories, heavy equipment simulators and aircraft hangars. Another $6 million is being invested to support the start-up costs for new collegiate schools.

Dual-credit programs

Budget 2025, if passed, also provides $4.6 million in 2025/26 to start new or improve existing dual-credit programs. In partnership with universities and colleges, dual-credit programs give students a head start on rewarding careers by allowing them to earn high-school and post-secondary credits at the same time. Of the $4.6 million, $550,000 is being provided by Alberta Seniors, Community and Social Services for new and improved dual-credit health care aide programs.

ā€œHealth care aides play a critical role in ensuring Albertans receive the continuing care services they need to maintain their health, independence and quality of life. Our investments into career pathways for health care aides will provide opportunities for young Albertans to develop the skills they need to build a rewarding career in Albertaā€™s continuing care workforce.ā€

Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services

Another $1.4 million is being invested to support students participating in off-campus career education programs through CAREERS. This non-profit connects students to jobs in high-demand fields, such as the trades, technology, health, forestry and agriculture.

ā€œInvestments in collegiate and dual-credit programming are significant for Calgary Catholic as they further strengthen our collegiate and dual-credit programming. This programming will open opportunities for our students and help them to realize their full potential.ā€

Shannon Cook, chair, Calgary Catholic School District

ā€œBefore Fusion Collegiate, I felt lost and wasnā€™t really sure what to do after high school. Thanks to its career-focused learning and the opportunities through Fusion and The Educational Partnership Foundation, Iā€™m now working as a first-year apprentice plumber with Mr. Rooter. The hands-on trades training, high school credits, safety certifications, and real-world skills I picked up completely changed my life. Iā€™m excited about where my career is headed and really thankful for the support that helped me get here.ā€

Francis Mazieta, student, Fusion Collegiate

Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta communities with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on the economy.

Quick facts

  • If passed, Budget 2025 invests $102.4 million over three years to provide sustainable, predictable career education funding, and to increase access to career education for Alberta students.
    • This includes $8.4 million over 2026-27 and 2027-28 to raise awareness among students and families of career education programs and pathways available to Alberta students.
  • Career education in Alberta includes career and technology courses, Career and Life Management (CALM), dual-credit courses, collegiate schools, apprenticeships and off-campus education programming.
  • Since 2013, more than 95,000 high school students participated in at least one dualcredit course.
  • In spring 2025, Alberta Education will engage with education partners on best practices to bring more career education opportunities to students.
    • Since 2022, education partners and almost 5,000 Albertans have provided their feedback on career education and workforce needs.

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