The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights ruled Wednesday that California violated Title IX by allowing men to compete in women’s sports and use women’s locker rooms.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-finds-california-department-of-education-and-california-interscholastic-federation-violation-of-title-ix">announced</a> the results of the office’s investigation on Wednesday.
“Although Governor Gavin Newsom admitted months ago it was ‘deeply unfair’ to allow men to compete in women’s sports, both the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation continued as recently as a few weeks ago to allow men to steal female athletes’ well-deserved accolades and to subject them to the indignity of unfair and unsafe competitions.”
“The Trump administration will relentlessly enforce Title IX protections for women and girls, and our findings today make clear that California has failed to adhere to its obligations under federal law,” McMahon said. “The state must swiftly come into compliance with Title IX or face the consequences that follow,” she added.
<a href="https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/civil-rights-laws/title-ix-and-sex-discrimination">Title IX</a> “prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.”
President Donald Trump signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/keeping-men-out-of-womens-sports/">executive order</a> in January to formally recognize only two genders, based on a “fundamental and incontrovertible” reality. Under this framework, male participation in women’s sports counts as sex discrimination under Title IX. 
The following month, Trump signed another executive order to remove funding from states that violate Title IX. 
The California Interscholastic Federation responded in February by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/california-plans-continue-allowing-trans-athletes-compete-girls-sports-despite-trump-executive-order">declaring</a> it would continue to allow trans athletes to compete alongside women in accordance with state law.
 &#8220;The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete in education-based experiences…consistent with the student’s gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records.”
California has 10 days to comply with Title IX and Trump’s executive order, or it will face “imminent enforcement action, including referral to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for proceedings,” and removal of federal education funds, the Education Department says.
The Office fo Civil Rights has also instructed California to “restore to female athletes all individual records, titles, and awards misappropriated by male athletes competing in female competitions,” and sent a personalized letter of apology to each female athlete affected, “for allowing her educational experience to be marred by sex discrimination.”
The state must also propose a monitoring plan to ensure that it continues to abide by Title IX.
California receives a tremendous amount of federal funding. In 2022, the state <a href="https://usafacts.org/answers/how-much-money-does-the-federal-government-provide-state-and-local-governments/state/california/">received</a> over $161 billion. Residents say they won’t look kindly on Newsom if he puts these funds at risk.
“Without these federal funds, California’s budget crisis would dramatically worsen, and California’s most vulnerable students would stand to lose crucial programs and support,” writes the <a href="https://californiapolicycenter.org/california-accepts-billions-in-federal-funds-for-education-while-defying-federal-law/">California Policy Center</a>. 
“Newsom and the California Department of Education should reassess their priorities and consider what California families want most: a quality education for the next generation.”

Linda McMahon

Department of Education Says California Violated Title IX, Threatens Legal Action

California

Department of Education

Gavin Newsom

Title IX

Women's sports

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump&#8217;s Education Department has declared June &#8220;Title IX Month&#8221; in recognition of the 53rd anniversary of the historic legislation&#8217;s passage, The Daily Wire has learned.
The department will spend June highlighting the Trump administration&#8217;s actions taken to protect female sports and spaces, as well as reversing the weaponization of Title IX that took place during the previous administration. The festivities offer a stark contrast to the Biden Education Department&#8217;s &#8220;Pride Month&#8221; celebrations, which focused on gender ideology, critical race theory, and DEI.
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The Daily Wire can also first report that the Education Department&#8217;s Office for Civil Rights is launching probes into two high-profile cases that developed under the previous administration, one in Colorado and the other in Wyoming.
<div id="attachment_927993" style="width: 397px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-education-department-celebrates-title-ix-month-ditches-pride-month/screenshot-2025-06-02-at-11-59-34-am" rel="attachment wp-att-927993"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-927993" class="wp-image-927993 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-02-at-11.59.34%E2%80%AFAM-387x576.png" alt="Screenshot, X. " width="387" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-02-at-11.59.34%E2%80%AFAM-387x576.png 387w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-02-at-11.59.34%E2%80%AFAM-201x300.png 201w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-02-at-11.59.34%E2%80%AFAM-768x1144.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-02-at-11.59.34%E2%80%AFAM.png 796w" sizes="(max-width: 387px) 100vw, 387px" /></a>The Biden Education Department celebrates Pride Month. Screenshot, X.</div>
In the first case, the Education Department will investigate the University of Wyoming for allowing a male into the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority chapter and letting him live in female-only campus housing, prompting members of the sorority to sue the school. The lawsuit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/women-file-lawsuit-against-sorority-after-it-accepts-man-who-allegedly-watches-them-while-visibly-aroused">describes</a> how the male student would allegedly watch, with a visible erection, as female students changed or walked through the sorority house in their towels.
In the second case, Colorado&#8217;s Jefferson County Public Schools is under investigation for assigning students to share overnight accommodations “with other students that share a student’s ‘gender identity.’”
The <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/12/04/exclusive-school-assigned-girl-sleep-boy-who-identifies-trans-parental-notification/">Daily Signal previously reported</a> that the school system assigned a young girl to share a bed with a trans-identifying boy on an overnight school trip — and she <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/12/21/parents-address-nightmare-school-trip-daughter-11-discovered-her-bedmate-was-trans/">likely would have been pressured into sharing his bed</a> had her mother not been present on that trip.
In a press release, the Education Department notes that Jefferson County Public Schools &#8220;allegedly misleads parents by informing them that girls and boys will be separated for overnight accommodations without divulging that its definition of &#8216;girl&#8217; includes boys who claim a female identity.&#8221;
Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Trump have been very open about their plan to hand over control of children&#8217;s education to both states and parents and ultimately eliminate the Department of Education. Since Trump returned to office, the Education Department has <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/president-trumps-first-100-days-education-america">opened investigations</a> into California and Maine for alleged violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which orders states to comply with parental rights laws, boosts school choice programs, and more.

President Trump Holds National Council for the American Worker Meeting

EXCLUSIVE: Education Department Celebrates ‘Title IX Month,’ Ditches Pride Month

LGBTQ

A federal judge issued an injunction Thursday blocking the Trump administration from dismantling the Education Department and ordered that fired employees be allowed to come back to work.
U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Massachusetts ruled that the administration was trying to illegally shut down the department without Congress&#8217;s approval.
“The record abundantly reveals that Defendants’ true intention is to effectively dismantle the Department without an authorizing statute,” Joun wrote.
“The supporting declarations of former Department employees, educational institutions, unions, and educators paint a stark picture of the irreparable harm that will result from financial uncertainty and delay, impeded access to vital knowledge on which students and educators rely, and loss of essential services for America’s most vulnerable student populations,” the judge wrote.
Joun also said that prior to the mass layoffs, the department was &#8220;already struggling to meet its goals,&#8221; so more reductions would &#8220;likely cripple&#8221; it.
The ruling came after two lawsuits, one filed by a pair of Massachusetts school districts and the American Federation of Teachers union, and the other filed by 21 Democratic attorneys general.
In March, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-order-dismantling-department-of-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an executive order dismantling the Department of Education, following through on a key campaign promise to strengthen parental rights and improve academic outcomes across the country.
Trump’s order directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States and local communities.”
However, the order also told McMahon to “ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”
Also, any programs still receiving Department of Education funds will “terminate illegal discrimination obscured under the label ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ or similar terms and programs promoting gender ideology.”
Frustration with public schools reached a boiling point over the last several years. During the pandemic, parents pleaded with schools to open the classrooms and stop requiring face masks on children. After COVID, parents complained of crippling learning loss, schools hiding children’s gender identity changes, and teachers pushing controversial ideologies like Critical Race Theory.
“Everybody knows it’s right. The Democrats know it’s right,” Trump said just before signing the order. “We’re going to be returning education, very simply, back to the states where it belongs, and this is a very popular thing to do, but much more importantly, it’s a common sense thing to do, and it’s going to work. Absolutely, it’s going to work.”
Trump said the United States has “two stats you don’t want — the most money spent per pupil, and you’re at the bottom of the list, and that’s where we are, like it or not, and we’ve been there for a long time.”

Judge gavel with Justice lawyers, Businessman in suit or lawyer working on a documents. Legal law, advice and justice concept.

Judge Blocks Dismantling Of Education Department, Orders Fired Workers Back

Courts

Donald Trump

Politics

Education Secretary Linda McMahon told Harvard University in a letter on Monday that it would no longer be eligible for new federal grants, saying that it has systematically violated federal law.
McMahon&#8217;s letter to Harvard President Alan Garber comes after the Trump administration has frozen more than $2 billion in federal dollars to the university over DEI and its handling of anti-Israel protests. President Donald Trump last week said that Harvard would lose its tax-exempt status.
&#8220;Harvard University has made a mockery of this country&#8217;s higher education system. It has invited foreign students, who engage in violent behavior and show contempt for the United States of America, to its campus,&#8221; McMahon wrote. &#8220;In every way, Harvard has failed to abide by its legal obligations, its ethical and fiduciary duties, its transparency responsibilities, and any semblance of academic rigor.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/Harvard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Harvard</a>: <a href="https://t.co/XmMimXfkX0">pic.twitter.com/XmMimXfkX0</a>
— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) <a href="https://twitter.com/EDSecMcMahon/status/1919517481313427594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Harvard University, despite amassing a largely tax-free $53.2 billion endowment (larger than the GDP of 100 countries), receives billions of dollars of taxpayer largess each year. Receiving such taxpayer funds is a privilege, not a right. Yet instead of using these funds to advance the education of its students. Harvard is engaging in a systemic pattern of violating federal law,&#8221; she added. 
She called for Harvard to institute &#8220;common sense&#8221; reforms, including merit-based hiring, ending programs that promote &#8220;crude identity stereotypes,&#8221; disciplinary reform, cooperation with law enforcement, and reporting compliance with directives from the Trump administration.
McMahon said the letter served as notice that Harvard should no longer apply for federal grants because &#8220;none would be provided.&#8221;
&#8220;Harvard will cease to be a publicly funded institution, and can instead operate as a privately-funded institution, drawing on its colossal endowment, and raising money from a large base of wealthy alumni. You have an approximately $53 billion head start, much of which was made possible by the fact that you are living within the walls of, and benefiting from, the prosperity secured by the United States of America and its free-market system you teach your students to despise,&#8221; she wrote. 
McMahon said that the primary issue the administration had with the university was its response to the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision to strike down affirmative action.
&#8220;Perhaps most alarmingly, Harvard has failed to abide by the United States Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling demanding that it end its racial preferencing, and continues to engage in ugly racism in its undergraduate and graduate schools, and even within the Harvard Law Review itself,&#8221; she said. Our universities should be bastions of merit that reward and celebrate excellence and achievement. They should not be incubators of discrimination that encourage resentment and instill grievance and racism into our wonderful young Americans.&#8221;
Trump has been sharply critical of Harvard, calling it a &#8220;threat to democracy&#8221; and &#8220;far left institution.&#8221;

Trump Signs Executive Order To Begin Dismantling Education Department

Harvard Gets More Bad News From Trump Admin Amid Funding Fight

Education

Funding

Harvard University

President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders on Wednesday, including multiple directives that seek to further cut diversity, equity, and inclusion policies from influencing education.
The orders covered a host of topics, including artificial intelligence, foreign funding of universities, accreditation associations, and school discipline policies. Trump signed them in the Oval Office with Education Secretary Linda McMahon at his side.
One of the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/reinstating-common-sense-school-discipline-policies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">orders</a> rolled back school disciplinary guidance issued during the Obama administration that told schools across the country that they could lose federal funding &#8220;if their disciplinary decisions ran afoul of a newly imposed disparate-impact framework under which race-neutral disciplinary policies, applied in an even-handed manner, may be improper if members of any racial groups are suspended, expelled, or referred to law enforcement at higher rates than others.&#8221;
Trump wrote that the Obama guidance &#8220;required schools to discriminate on the basis of race by imposing discipline based on racial characteristics, rather than on objective behavior alone.&#8221; The order mandates that schools do not consider race when enforcing discipline policies. 
Several executive orders focus on education at the university level, including <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/reforming-accreditation-to-strengthen-higher-education/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one</a> that goes after accreditors, whom Trump writes have &#8220;abused their enormous authority&#8221; by forcing universities to adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. 
Specifically named in the executive order are the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-medical-association-academic-blames-health-care-problems-on-cisgenderism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liaison Committee on Medical Education</a> and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, which calls for institutions to implement “policies and procedures related to recruitment and retention of individuals underrepresented in medicine,” specifically including racial minorities. 
&#8220;The Secretary of Education shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, hold accountable, including through denial, monitoring, suspension, or termination of accreditation recognition, accreditors who fail to meet the applicable recognition criteria or otherwise violate Federal law, including by requiring institutions seeking accreditation to engage in unlawful discrimination in accreditation-related activity under the guise of &#8216;diversity, equity, and inclusion&#8217; initiatives,&#8221; Trump wrote. 
Another higher education <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/transparency-regarding-foreign-influence-at-american-universities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> calls for greater transparency around the foreign funding of American universities and calls for the Education Department and the Justice Department to develop more stringent reporting requirements. 
&#8220;It is the policy of my Administration to end the secrecy surrounding foreign funds in American educational institutions, protect the marketplace of ideas from propaganda sponsored by foreign governments, and safeguard America’s students and research from foreign exploitation,&#8221; Trump wrote. 
<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/advancing-artificial-intelligence-education-for-american-youth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Another order</a> directs the formation of an artificial intelligence task force to &#8220;promote AI literacy and proficiency among Americans&#8221; by integrating AI into education, providing AI training for teachers, and &#8220;fostering early exposure to AI.&#8221; 
The final two education-related orders establish a White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/white-house-initiative-to-promote-excellence-and-innovation-at-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initiative</a> for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, while another <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/preparing-americans-for-high-paying-skilled-trade-jobs-of-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directs</a> the creation of additional workforce development programs with the goal of enabling Americans &#8220;to produce world-class products and implement world-leading technologies.&#8221;
A separate <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/restoring-equality-of-opportunity-and-meritocracy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> directed the federal government to stop using disparate impact theory in government policy and regulations. The order defines disparate impact theory as the &#8220;presumption&#8221; that &#8220;unlawful discrimination exists where there are any differences in outcomes in certain circumstances among different races, sexes, or similar groups, even if there is no facially discriminatory policy or practice or discriminatory intent involved, and even if everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.&#8221;
Trump wrote that this theory undermines America&#8217;s values of meritocracy and a colorblind society while also violating the Constitution.
&#8220;It is the policy of the United States to eliminate the use of disparate-impact liability in all contexts to the maximum degree possible to avoid violating the Constitution, Federal civil rights laws, and basic American ideals,&#8221; Trump wrote, revoking the use of disparate impact for Justice Department actions taken to enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits government funding from going to entities that discriminate based on race.

President Trump Signs Executive Orders Focused On Education In The Oval Office

Trump Takes Sledgehammer To DEI In Latest Round Of Executive Orders Targeting Education

Executive

Executive Orders

Several House Democrats met with Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Wednesday, and followed the meeting with a press conference outside the Education Department — a press conference they clearly did not expect McMahon to crash.
Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT) shared video from the press conference that showed Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) mocking the parental rights advocacy group Moms for Liberty and suggesting that they&#8217;d be unequipped to set education policy or create curricula without the oversight of the federal Department of Education.
&#8220;WATCH: House Democrats use an open discussion on education reform with @EdSecMcMahon to smear parents who want more involvement in their child’s education and spread lies about the “erasing of Black history” that is 100% NOT HAPPENING,&#8221; Owens posted along with the clip. &#8220;What a disgusting political stunt.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨WATCH: House Democrats use an open discussion on education reform with <a href="https://twitter.com/EDSecMcMahon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EdSecMcmahon</a> to smear parents who want more involvement in their child’s education and spread lies about the “erasing of Black history” that is 100% NOT HAPPENING.
What a disgusting political stunt. <a href="https://t.co/F2WAiVZTK9">pic.twitter.com/F2WAiVZTK9</a>
&mdash; Rep. Burgess Owens (@RepBurgessOwens) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepBurgessOwens/status/1907463108689317936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;So why do we need a Department of Education?&#8221; she asked. &#8220;Let these Moms of Liberty write our curriculum. Let these Moms of Liberty tell us how to educate our children. Let these Moms of Liberty tell us that you should not teach black history, that you should wipe the pages clean. Remember now, this is a conversation that&#8217;s been going on for about 12 years.&#8221;
A short time later, while Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) complained that there was no real plan and that no one was going to &#8220;really protect our students,&#8221; McMahon herself joined the press conference, and the tone immediately shifted.
&#8220;She is here, perhaps I should give her the podium. We&#8217;re extraordinarily grateful that the Secretary gave us the space to have these conversations but, with all due respect, Madam, I think my biggest concern is that the states will not be able to protect the programs and services.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Democrats had a press conference outside the Department of Education — so <a href="https://twitter.com/EDSecMcMahon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EDSecMcMahon</a> came out to join them:
&quot;I believe — and I know <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> does believe this, as well — the best education is that that is closest to the child.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/AdSrMtf1ph">pic.twitter.com/AdSrMtf1ph</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1907462264547921977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Secretary McMahon then took to the podium and promptly reiterated the case she has made since day one in office for transferring education policy power away from the federal Department of Education and into more local jurisdictions.
&#8220;I just want to express my gratitude to all of these folks who came today so that we could have an open discussion about what I believe is one of the most important things that we can have a discussion on or action on in our country, and that is the education of our young people,&#8221; McMahon said, noting that the next generation of leaders and scientists and doctors and lawyers were being educated now.
&#8220;I believe, and I know the president does believe this as well, the best education is that that is closest to the child, where teachers and parents, local superintendents, working together, and local school boards, to develop the curriculum for those students is the best way that it can happen,&#8221; she said.

Secretary of Education nominee Linda McMahon

Linda McMahon Crashes Dem Press Conference Outside Education Department

Democrat

House Democrats

Media

Press

The Trump administration task force on anti-Semitism has launched a review of billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded grants and contracts to Harvard University.
The task force is scrutinizing $8.7 billion in multi-year grant commitments to Harvard and its affiliates, according to an announcement by the Department of Education. The review will also encompass $255.6 million in contracts between Harvard and the federal government.
“Harvard has served as a symbol of the American Dream for generations – the pinnacle aspiration for students all over the world to work hard and earn admission to the storied institution,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/ed-hhs-and-gsa-initiate-federal-contract-and-grant-review-of-harvard-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “Harvard’s failure to protect students on campus from anti-Semitic discrimination – all while promoting divisive ideologies over free inquiry – has put its reputation in serious jeopardy.”
“Harvard can right these wrongs and restore itself to a campus dedicated to academic excellence and truth-seeking, where all students feel safe on its campus,” she said.
Harvard President Alan Garber addressed the threat to the university’s federal funding in a Monday <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2025/our-resolve/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">note</a>.
“The government has informed us that they are considering this action because they are concerned that the University has not fulfilled its obligations to curb and combat antisemitic harassment,” Garber wrote.
“Urgent action and deep resolve are needed to address this serious problem that is growing across America and around the world. It is present on our campus. I have experienced antisemitism directly, even while serving as president, and I know how damaging it can be to a student who has come to learn and make friends at a college or university,” the president said.
The task force is composed of the departments of Education and Health and Human Services and the U.S. General Services Administration.
The announcement came after the Trump administration has cut off $400 million in taxpayer funding from Columbia University. Last month, Columbia agreed to make a series of changes to their campus speech policies and practices, though it did not secure a return of the rescinded funding.
Last week, Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/columbia-president-steps-down-amid-turmoil-with-trump-admin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stepped down</a> amid blowback from faculty that the college acceded too much to the Trump administration in the agreement. Claire Shipman, a former CNN correspondent and co-chair of Columbia’s board of trustees, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/columbias-new-prez-doesnt-appear-to-be-much-better-than-the-last-one" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stepped in</a> as interim president.
The Trump administration cut funds to Columbia University after the federal government said the school failed to protect Jewish students amid chaos and unrest on campus over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas students protested, vandalized, and took over buildings on Columbia’s campus.

Trump Anti-Semitism Task Force Scrutinizing Billions In Taxpayer Funds To Harvard

Trump Antisemitism Task Force Scrutinizing Billions In Taxpayer Funds To Harvard

Anti-Semitism

Hamas

Israel

U.S.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Whether Albert Einstein actually said it or not, the point stands: nowhere is this truer than in America’s broken education system.
Since the Department of Education opened its doors in 1979, we’ve been pouring increasing federal money into our public school system – more per child than <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cmd/education-expenditures-by-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most developed nations</a> – but our test scores keep sliding. And the more our schools fail our children, the more Washington doubles down on what isn’t working. 
As a doctor, a parent, and Louisiana’s senator, I’ve seen firsthand the toll our broken education system exacts. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, I know there’s only one way to fix it: let the states take the lead.
That’s why Congress should deliver on President Trump’s promise: dismantle the Department of Education and let states, families, and educators shape our children’s education and future.
Look no further than my home state of Louisiana, where we told Washington to take a hike and took control of our own destiny. The proof is in the pudding. When states lead, students succeed.
In 2019, our students were last or near last in the nation for reading and math. In six short years, Louisiana students have made some of the most significant academic gains in the country. Our fourth graders led the nation in reading growth for the second consecutive cycle according to <a href="https://doe.louisiana.gov/about/newsroom/news-releases/release/2025/01/29/louisiana-students-achieve-their-highest-national-rankings--on-the-nation-s-report-card" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Nation’s Report Card</a>, and we are among the top five states for math improvement. We’re one of just two states where fourth graders exceeded pre-pandemic scores in reading and math. And our eighth graders are posting gains in math when much of the country is seeing declines. 
Even more importantly, Louisiana students with disabilities and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are now exceeding the national average in both achievement and growth.
This progress wasn’t driven by Washington bureaucrats or yet another bloated federal program dictating how classrooms should be run. This progress happened because those closest to the students – local leaders, teachers, and parents – made the decisions. 
Louisiana’s success is no accident; it’s the result of strategic reforms that put students first. We overhauled literacy instruction with a <a href="https://doe.louisiana.gov/docs/default-source/literacy/louisiana-comprehensive-literacy-plan.pdf?sfvrsn=500c6418_2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Science of Reading-based plan</a>, ensuring that phonics is the foundation of reading education. In math, we prioritized the <a href="https://doe.louisiana.gov/educators/instructional-support/louisiana-math" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mastery of fundamental skills</a>, giving students the tools to succeed in advanced coursework. These efforts helped Louisiana students achieve some of the highest academic growth in the nation.
To strengthen teacher support, Louisiana launched a statewide <a href="https://doe.louisiana.gov/educators/professional-development/louisiana-mentor-teachers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mentor training program in 2017</a>, building a high-quality network of educators to guide new teachers. By improving teacher preparation and cutting unnecessary bureaucracy, we gave educators the tools to succeed in the classroom.
We also <a href="https://doe.louisiana.gov/about/newsroom/news-releases/release/2024/07/20/louisiana-department-of-education-awarded-55-million-to-increase-school-choice-options-for-families" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expanded school choice</a>, ensuring families have more options to find the best educational environment for their children. Whether through charter schools, scholarship programs, or open enrollment, Louisiana has empowered parents to choose schools that meet their children’s unique needs. That’s why I co-sponsored the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/120" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Educational Choice for Children Act</a>, which expands school choice opportunities nationwide, giving every child the chance to succeed, no matter their ZIP code.
To sustain this momentum, we also expanded <a href="https://doe.louisiana.gov/school-system-leaders/school-system-support/statewide-tutoring-opportunities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-dosage tutoring</a>, launched a statewide K-3 literacy and math screening program to catch learning gaps early, and implemented a nationally recognized accountability system that raises academic standards and improves career education. Louisiana’s approach proves that when states lead, students win.
We need to make this model the national standard. The Department of Education is a bloated bureaucracy that holds schools back from success. We don’t need federal mandates telling Louisiana, or any state, how to educate its students. We need to return power to the states, where local leaders can tailor education to their communities, and families can have a greater voice in their children’s future.
Eliminating the Department of Education isn’t about cutting resources. It’s about cutting red tape and the over-broad, one-size-fits-all mandates. It’s about trusting parents to know what’s best for their kids. It’s about empowering teachers, not federal bureaucrats, to shape what happens in the classroom. And most of all, it’s about giving every student, no matter where they live, the chance to succeed.
It’s time for Washington to step aside and let the states lead. Let’s finish the job. Let’s fulfill President Trump’s pledge to return education to those who know it best — parents, teachers, and local communities.
* * *
Sen. <a href="https://thehill.com/people/bill-cassidy/">Bill Cassidy,</a> M.D. has represented Louisiana in the U.S. Senate since 2015.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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Stop The Insanity: Why States, Not Washington, Should Run Education

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Daily Wire host Michael Knowles was part of the White House&#8217;s first-ever &#8220;Podcast Row&#8221; on Thursday, joining other podcasters in a room set up where they can stream, record, and talk with Trump cabinet officials.
The White House debuted Podcast Row as the Trump administration prioritizes giving access to journalists and news outlets outside of the legacy media. Podcast Row is similar to the &#8220;new media seat&#8221; the White House grants to journalists and podcasters once a month at the press briefing.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the new setup for podcast hosts and quipped that those invited to Podcast Row reach &#8220;more viewers than CNN and the legacy media.&#8221;
“Hey everybody, today is Podcast Row here at the White House and our team has gathered a room full of podcasters with cabinet officials, White House officials who are talking to them about the president and his agenda,” Leavitt said. “And I bet you, the people in that room have much more viewers than CNN and the legacy media, just saying. We’re proud to welcome them to the White House.”
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Our very own <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@michaeljknowles</a> is in The White House Podcast Row! <a href="https://t.co/VGhTVOcyy2">https://t.co/VGhTVOcyy2</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1905332459215974534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Fun day planned&#8230;&#8221; Knowles wrote on X alongside a picture of the name plate given to him by the White House.
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Fun day planned… 😎 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/n4DcM9mR1h">pic.twitter.com/n4DcM9mR1h</a>
&mdash; Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1905267611471905183?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Other journalists and commentators in attendance at Podcast Row on Thursday included <a href="https://x.com/nataliegwinters/status/1905263531512963395" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Natalie Winters</a> of Steve Bannon&#8217;s &#8220;War Room&#8221; and Canadian YouTuber <a href="https://x.com/thevivafrei/status/1905285209831973290" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Freiheit</a>.
According to NewsNation reporter Libbey Dean, who was on hand to cover the event, numerous Trump officials stopped by to chat with the podcasters, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought.
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Happening now: Inside look at White House Podcast Row event.
In attendance today: <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RobertKennedyJr</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LeeMZeldin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeeMZeldin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EDSecMcMahon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EDSecMcMahon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/russvought?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@russvought</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AlinaHabba?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlinaHabba</a> <a href="https://t.co/nVZnT8bWTH">pic.twitter.com/nVZnT8bWTH</a>
&mdash; Libbey Dean (@LibbeyDean_) <a href="https://twitter.com/LibbeyDean_/status/1905281329559711962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Michael Knowles

White House Hosts Inaugural ‘Podcast Row’

Karoline Leavitt

Lee Zeldin

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Russ Vought

Scott Bessent

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On Thursday, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon fired off a letter to California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom warning him that public schools that permit boys to play in girls’ sports could lose federal funding.
In an attempt to mitigate his record as an ardent leftist, Newsom recently reversed himself on the issue, saying it is “deeply unfair” for male athletes to participate in women&#8217;s sports.
“An overwhelming majority of Americans agree with you that biological men in women&#8217;s sports is unfair and wrong,” McMahon wrote. “Many are confused, however, by your office&#8217;s silence on the harms of substituting ‘gender identity’ for sex in other areas of the school environment. After all, if men ‘identifying as women; shouldn&#8217;t play women&#8217;s sports, why do California schools continue to let boys ‘identifying as girls’ use girls&#8217; bathrooms and locker rooms, and sleep in girls-only overnight accommodations?”
“School personnel have no business promoting the false notion that kids can choose or change their sex,” McMahon stated bluntly. “If a child does exhibit this behavior, the school has a duty to notify parents.”
“Take a stand on your convictions,” she told the man who often takes the most politically advantageous position for his career.
Even legacy media outlets have taken note of Newsom&#8217;s recent recalibration of his &#8220;convictions.&#8221;
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/20/politics/kfile-gavin-newsom-podcast-policy-reversal-trans-sports-latinx/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last week: “Since launching his new podcast two weeks ago, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken aim at a number of causes popular among progressives: He’s rejected the term ‘Latinx,&#8217; said he doesn’t back trans women competing in women’s sports, and suggested he opposes taxpayer-funded gender transition surgeries for prisoners and detained immigrants.
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After telling me that no one in his office ever used the term Latinx, CNN put together a brutal compilation of Gov. Gavin Newsom personally and repeatedly using the phrase.
If he&#39;ll lie like this, directly to my face, on camera&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/mx2nskMGhe">pic.twitter.com/mx2nskMGhe</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1903187569829155222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Be clear about the harms of gender confusion.” McMahon urged. “Protect female spaces. Do not encourage children to seek permanent medical interventions to their sex. Inform parents. Wouldn&#8217;t you, as a parent, appreciate knowing that your 5th grade daughter on a school trip might have to sleep overnight in rooms with boys and men ‘identifying’ as girls and women?”
She then laid down the gauntlet: “A great place to start protecting girls in California K-12 schools is to repeal Cal. Ed. Code 221.5(f) by calling on your legislature to pass AB 844. This would make it clear that California schools operate within reality and common sense. Sex-specific school programs and activities should be separated on the basis of sex, not the subjective feeling of “gender identity.’ Allowing participation in sex-separated activities based on ‘gender identity’ places schools at risk of Title IX violations and loss of federal funding.”
“As Governor, you have a duty to inform California school districts of this risk,” she pointed out. “You also have a duty to inform California educators and school officials that the creation of so-called ‘gender plans’ that are kept secret from parents is against federal law.”
“If a student claims a ‘gender identity’ at school, managing this issue bureaucratically while hiding it from parents violates the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). More importantly, it undermines the parent-child relationship and deprives parents of involvement in a critical aspect of their child&#8217;s youthful development. This is morally wrong, and as a parent, you should be naturally appalled, as I am, by the attempt to cut parents out of their children&#8217;s lives,” she wrote.
“Will you commit to working with the legislature to reverse the law you signed banning schools from notifying parents about students&#8217; gender identity?” she asked.
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JUST IN: Sec of Education Linda McMahon sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom DEMANDING that he inform California schools to comply with federal law and keep males out of female private spaces and sports. Failure to do so will result in the loss of funding. <a href="https://t.co/JDsuCGmKkh">pic.twitter.com/JDsuCGmKkh</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1905281387453706689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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McMahon Calls Out Newsom: Take A Stand On Your ‘Convictions’ On Trans Issues

McMahon Calls Out Newsom: Take A Stand On Your 'Convictions' On Trans Issues

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