NDEA Responds to Potential Elimination of US Department of Education

Nebraska Department of Education Commissioner Brian Maher sent the following letter to school and ESU administrators on the topic of the Federal Department of Education.

Dear School and ESU Administrators,
On Thursday, President Trump signed an executive order, “Improving Education Outcomes by
Empowering Parents, States, and Communities.” The order states, “The Secretary of Education
shall, to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to
facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the
States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services,
programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”

My thoughts regarding this topic have been “We will not panic”. Further, we will deal with
facts.

Secretary McMahon and White House officials have publicly stated that it would require an act
of Congress to eliminate the Department. In other words, there is much more to come on this
topic.

As of right now the NDE is carrying on as usual while monitoring for guidance from the federal
government.

I look forward to engaging with Secretary McMahon and other federal officials to see what
happens next. I believe Nebraska is poised to seek any opportunities this change may present
and prepared to handle the challenges that change may bring to our state.

We will not panic!