EO 14,242: Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, & Communities

On March 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14,242 (EO) directing that the Education Secretary shall, "to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education." The EO further directed the Education Secretary to ensure that any program or activity receiving Federal assistance from the Department of Education “terminate illegal discrimination obscured under the label ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ or similar terms and programs promoting gender ideology.”