Superintendent Reykdal criticizes transfer of education programs from Department of Education

Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced that several of its offices will have their responsibilities transferred to other federal agencies. This move comes as part of a series of interagency agreements signed by the Department, shifting management of various education programs—many with limited ties to K–12 education—to new federal oversight.

State Superintendent Chris Reykdal issued a statement in response to these changes. “Since taking office in January, the Trump Administration has been clear about its intent to eliminate ED. Because doing so would require an act of Congress, the Administration is using interagency agreements to dismantle ED through other avenues, bypassing the authority of the 535 elected members of Congress,” Reykdal said.

The Department’s stated purpose for these transitions is to “return education to the states” and reduce federal bureaucracy. However, Reykdal questioned whether these objectives would be achieved. He stated, “There is no evidence that this change would make progress on either of those goals.”

Reykdal also raised concerns about increased complexity for educators and families. “Instead, these changes increase the number of federal agencies with oversight of K–12 education five-fold, undoubtedly creating confusion and duplicity for the educators, administrators, and families across the nation who engage with ED staff regularly,” he said.

A significant part of this transition involves moving the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) to the U.S. Department of Labor. Programs within OESE were established by Congress to support students from historically underserved communities, including those experiencing homelessness or poverty, multilingual learners, migratory students, and students at risk of dropping out.

Reykdal emphasized that while workforce preparation is important in K–12 education, maintaining educational focus within these programs remains critical for student success. He added: “Education programs being run by an agency that is dedicated to enforcing labor laws is not only disjointed, it is potentially harmful to the students who rely on these civil rights protections. It is my expectation that the federal government will follow through on their legal and moral obligations to these student groups, regardless of which federal agency manages the programs.”

He concluded by reaffirming Washington state’s commitment: “Regardless of the efforts by the Trump Administration, schools in Washington state are unwavering in our commitment to supporting each and every student who enters our classrooms.”

“This administration keeps blowing holes in federal agencies and then acting like moving the deck chairs from one sinking ship to another is noble. It is not,” Reykdal said.