A Letter to Congress Opposing Linda McMahon’s Confirmation

E4E released the following letter to the H.E.L.P. Committee opposing Linda McMahon’s nomination for U.S. Secretary of Education.

The Honorable William Cassidy, Chair
The Honorable Bernie Sanders, Ranking Member
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
428 Senate Dirksen Office Building,
Washington, DC, 20510

February 11, 2025

Dear Chairman Cassidy and Ranking Member Sanders,

In advance of Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing for U.S. Secretary of Education, we are writing to express Educators for Excellence’s (E4E) strong opposition both to her nomination and to the Administration’s education-related actions thus far. Additionally, we are writing to outline our policy priorities for the U.S. Department of Education under the next Secretary and demand that any prospective Secretary prioritize teacher-led and student-centered policy-making during their tenure. With further declining test scores and widening achievement gaps on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the role of the U.S. Secretary of Education is more critical than ever.

As educators, we are deeply invested in each student’s academic success and access to opportunity. As U.S. citizens, we are also invested in our country’s economic and democratic future and know firsthand the positive impact a strong K-12 public education system will have on our nation.

Unfortunately, the irresponsible, incendiary, and in some cases illegal actions taken or sought by the Trump Administration since the inauguration act in direct opposition to these pursuits. They are also widely opposed by teachers nationwide: preliminary analysis of our nationally representative survey of 1,000 teachers, conducted last month, finds that no more than 20% of teachers support any of the Trump Administration’s stated educational priorities or actions taken thus far. We renounce any efforts by the agency—whether led by Linda McMahon or someone else—to support or enforce the following:   

• The elimination or block granting of critical federal funding streams like Title I, Title 3, and IDEA that increase our most vulnerable student populations’ access to learning opportunities 
• The elimination or reduction of Institute of Education Science (IES) funded research and evaluation programs—like Teacher and School Leader Incentive Grants (TSL), the Teacher Quality Partnership Program (TQP), and the Supporting Effective Educator Development Grant Program (SEED)—that provide funding directly to districts to identify and scale innovative, evidence-based teaching practices  
• The illegal attempt to interfere in local curriculum decision-making, limiting access to  culturally relevant teaching materials that 88% of teachers nationwide support
• The rolling back of guidance that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from entering school buildings, thus intentionally sowing confusion and fear among students who are members of immigrant families and negatively impacting their school culture, attendance, and academic performance
• The removal of federal protections—that 84% of teachers nationally support—against discrimination for LGBTQ+ students, which will impede affirming and safe school environments for a population that already reports the highest levels of bullying and self-harm
• Attempts to prohibit transgender students from identifying by name, participating in sports, or using facilities aligned with their gender identity
• The proposed dissolution of the U.S. Department of Education, which would undoubtedly increase opportunity gaps nationwide and further undermine our system’s ability to graduate young people prepared to engage civically and digitally and to succeed professionally

In our unwavering dedication to building an education system that increases access to opportunity for  all our students, we call on the future Secretary to maintain and improve—rather than decimate—the federal government’s and U.S. Department of Education’s pivotal role in creating an excellent and equitable education system led by a high-quality, diverse workforce, in the following ways:

1. Federal funding and resources are the foundation of equitable access to high-quality, well-funded education. We call on the Secretary to protect critically essential funding sources like Title I, Title 3, and IDEA from funding cuts and to ensure these dollars support the students for whom they are intended and remain in public schools with public accountability.
2. Student safety and well-being are prerequisites to learning, but fear and divisiveness, driven by rhetoric, seep into schools and undermine success. We call on the Secretary to maintain funding sources for social and emotional programs that benefit all students while also specifically supporting our most vulnerable students by reinstating schools as immigration “sensitive zones” and Title IX protections for gender and sexual identity.
3. Evidence-based curricular materials are among the most cost-effective ways to bolster student success, but too many students lack access to them. We call on the Secretary to leverage federal funding and guidance to encourage the adoption of these materials and the implementation of aligned professional learning. 
4. Modernization of the teacher role is long overdue. We call on the Secretary to maintain existing funding streams that encourage districts to establish innovative staffing and compensation approaches, increase flexibility for using Title 2 funds to modernize the role, and further expand investment in this area.
5. Diverse career pathways are necessary to prepare students for an ever-changing future. We call on the Secretary to invest in and guide states as they establish and improve apprenticeship, career and technical, and dual enrollment programs that create economic opportunities for every student. 
6. Assessment innovation is critical as we broaden the outcomes we value and seek to measure them effectively. We call on the Secretary to maintain the assessment requirements codified in ESEA that allow us to communicate progress, expose opportunity gaps, and direct resources and interventions where they are most needed, while also investing in reimagining assessments to better serve and fit the needs of teachers and students. 

As you consider Linda McMahon’s nomination for the position of Secretary of Education, we ask that you weigh her willingness to reject short-sighted, chaotic, or malicious policymaking and her intent to seek out the voices of educators who understand our system most intimately. We ask that you thoroughly evaluate her professional background and qualifications and to what extent they align with the ability to effectively serve nearly 50 million students nationwide. Ultimately, E4E believes that McMahon is not suited or prepared to serve in this way and that the Committee should reject her nomination.

We must have a leader who answers teachers’ calls and believes in the need to reimagine the United States’s approach to K-12 education–not dismantle it. The future of our education system—and our economic and democratic prosperity—depends on it.

Educators for Excellence
Evan Stone, Co-founder and CEO
Members of the National Teacher Leader Council: