President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to begin dismantling the US Department of Education. While he can’t do it alone, his administration can take steps to decrease its operations. This follows massive layoffs at the federal agency, slashing nearly half its staff. Subsequently, island leaders are reacting to the new education development. 

It would take an act of Congress to eliminate the USDOE fully. Still, Trump has taken the first step, signing an executive order directing education secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the agency.  For now, the order seeks to strip the department down to its core functions - managing student loans, Pell Grants, Title I funding, and support for children with disabilities. The bigger goal is to hand control of education back to the states and local communities.

The president said, "My administration will take all lawful steps to shut down the department. We're going to shut it down and shut it down as quickly as possible." He added, "We want to return our students to the States, where just some of the governors here are so happy about this. They want education to come back to them, to come back to the States, and they're going to do a phenomenal job."

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero shared her thoughts about the order today, she says from her understanding, the move wouldn’t affect federal monies that come to states and territories. Still, she questioned the logistics of having those dollars sent directly to states and territories for administration and oversight.

She also voiced additional concerns, saying, “I am concerned about what does that mean now in standardization of teacher certification, standardization of school curriculum. How are we making sure that the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic are being done?”

Education oversight chair Senator Vince Borja says he remains optimistic about the recent action, seeing potential benefits for Guam.  “This may be good for Guam because then we can tailor the policies to our students, families, and teachers," the fresman policymaker said.

And while Borja adds he supports Trump’s intent to reduce federal spending, he remains concerned about cuts in funding for essential programs, assistance, and vital services, vowing to continue working closely with Guam’s congressional delegate and the Guam Legislature moving forward.

“We understand the need for the programs that we have, especially for special education and our underserved communities–so we’ll work our hardest to ensure those programs stay afloat or we find alternative options to continue to meet the needs of our community," said Borja.

For now, the Guam Department of Education remains status quo awaiting further guidance from the feds. KUAM News also reached out to Congressman James Moylan for comment, and he issued a response stating, in part, "It is imperative that the transition of authority from the federal government is smooth and that Guam's unique needs are considered and addressed during this process."