Anti-Learning & Anti-Growth

Context

2009-01-01 Linda McMahon holds limited credentials in education. She only served one year on the Connecticut Board of Education and holds a degree in French.

https://www.ctpublic.org/news/investigative/2025-01-07/linda-mcmahon-education-experience-connecticut-history

https://edsource.org/updates/mcmahon-confirmed-as-u-s-secretary-of-education

2016

2016-02-24 During a speech in Las Vegas, Trump told the crowd, “I love the poorly educated”.

2018

The publication “A Short History of the Department of State” was retired.

https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/short-history

2023

2023-03-29 Governor Ron DeSantis and his allies initiated a “hostile takeover” of New College of Florida as part of a political campaign.

https://www.whathappenedtonewcollege.org/

https://apnews.com/article/desantis-new-college-florida-woke-timeline-5a5bcd78230ddd2a1adb8021fea8a755

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFMc07F1UUU&list=WL&index=9&t=7s

2023-10-23 Republicans increasingly ban books.

https://pen.org/report/the-normalization-of-book-banning/

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/10/23/u-s-house-republicans-target-explicit-books-in-school-libraries/

2025 January

2025-01-20 Page 482 of Project 2025 aims to eliminate Head Start.

https://static.heritage.org/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf

2025-01-20 Trump rescinded Executive Order 14084 Promoting the Arts, the Humanities, and Museum and Library Services.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/initial-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions/

2025-01-20 Trump rescinded Executive Order 14000 Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/initial-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions/

2025 February

2025-02-19 Republican lawmakers in both Indiana and Washington removed state funding for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program which provided free books to schoolchildren.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/dolly-parton-imagination-library-program-053648307.html

2025 May

2025-05-22 Kristi Noem ordered the Department of Homeland Security to terminate Harvard University’s student-and-exchange visitor program SEVP certification.

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/05/22/harvard-university-loses-student-and-exchange-visitor-program-certification-pro

2025-05-28 Marco Rubio stated he would “aggressively” revoke visas for Chinese students.

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/28/g-s1-69495/rubio-says-u-s-will-aggressively-revoke-visas-for-many-chinese-students

2025 September

2025-09-16 The Department of Education ended funding for nine student-focused projects, including arts education, American history programs, free-book initiatives, civics education, literacy efforts, and college-preparation programs.

https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/trump-admin-cancels-dozens-more-grants-hitting-civics-arts-and-higher-ed/2025/09