In Florida, education now looks like this: our public school libraries are bare due to the constant pulling of books. Our state universities have abandoned diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices as those positions have been eliminated.

Soon, education nationwide could resemble this. 

On Nov. 19, President-elect Donald Trump announced his pick for Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, who has long-championed state and parental rights. 

McMahon serves as chair of the Board of the America First Policy Institute. The organization’s website reads that they “aim to reduce federal oversight and promote state and parental rights.” 

Like other members of the Presidential cabinet, McMahon will need confirmation from the Senate before taking office.

Her appointment by Trump is the first step of many in deconstructing the American educational system as we know it. 

McMahon and her husband, Vince McMahon, were named in an ongoing lawsuit alleging they knowingly enabled a former ringside announcer to sexually exploit and abuse former WWE “Ring Boys” in the 1980s. 

Related: USF SG leaders signed contract to switch positions

McMahon has limited experience in education, serving only one year on the Connecticut Board of Education in 2009 and has been a member for years of the Board of Trustees at Sacred Heart University, a Connecticut private school. 

As a co-founder and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), McMahon is primarily known as a business woman. So, why would Trump pick her to run our education system at a federal level?

Trump has called repeatedly for the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) in efforts to make education more ‘localized,’ meaning states and parents would be granted a greater say in what their children are taught.

“One of the things I will be doing early in the administration is to close up the Department of Education in Washington D.C. and send all education needs back to the states,” Trump said in video posted to social media in 2023.

Under Trump’s order, McMahon may comply. The dismantling of the ED would require the approval of Congress.

The Oracle reached out to five professors for input, two of which expressed that they felt uncomfortable discussing the matter.

Related: Die by a lie, the inexplicable end of DEI in Florida

The ED is a federal agency that establishes policies for education, as well as administering federal assistance, according to its website. The goal of the ED is to promote educational excellence while ensuring equal access to education.

“McMahon will fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice’ to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best education decisions for their families,” Trump said in a Truth Social statement.

Florida has seen firsthand what happens when education becomes more localized.

Book and DEI bans could spread throughout the nation as a result of locally-regulated education.

Curriculum should not vary by state depending on what parents “deem to be appropriate.” How can we be sure that parents have a fundamental understanding of what is substantial for their children to learn? 

Beyond the concerns of a DEI-less nation, students probably won’t see loan forgiveness or deduction any time soon under McMahon. 

An appointee of Trump would likely agree on his view regarding student debt, as Trump scrutinized Joe Biden’s loan forgiveness program. 

Related: USF has a female president. It’s time the U.S. did too.

Plus, if the ED is dismantled, college will become less accessible to Americans.

The ED provides financial assistance to college students through Pell Grants and the federal student loan program (FAFSA). The ED awards more than $120,000 billion annually in grants to approximately 13 million students, according to the ED website.

If the ED is dissolved, this could mean that the federal funding it provides would go out the window with it.

Our students are our future leaders, it’s important that they receive a proper education. How will they do so if they cannot afford higher education?