Vivek Ramaswamy Says the 'First Step' to Improving Education in the US is 'To Dismantle the US Department of Education'

Entrepreneur and former co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Vivek Ramaswamy posted bold proposals Thursday to overhaul the U.S. education system amid a series of actions by President Trump to radically restructure American schooling.

"The first step to improving U.S. education is to dismantle the US Department of Education & return the money. After that, it's up to the states to lead the way. And we will," Ramaswamy posted on X.

The statement drew widespread support from conservatives online.

"Yes, dismantle department of inclusion please. Spending more each year, education stats worse. Also, stop these new schools in Ohio from making the unisex bathrooms that are going to cause obvious issues in the future," wrote one user.

"Amen! Start with making community colleges free and put under each state's DOE and take away the free-for-all spending for their presidents and administrative officers," another added.

Ramaswamy has long advocated for drastic reductions in federal education oversight. In 2024, he and Elon Musk discussed "deep cuts" to government agencies.

"Elon and I aren't in this for the credit," Ramaswamy told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo. "But I think we're gonna build the consensus to make the kind of deep cuts that haven't been made for most of our history."

When pressed on whether this included eliminating the Department of Education, he confirmed, "We expect mass reductions. We expect certain agencies to be deleted outright."

His latest remarks come after Trump on Wednesday ordered agencies to review federal fund reallocations to support school choice.

"Parents want and deserve the best education for their children. But too many children do not thrive in their assigned, government-run K-12 school," Trump stated in the executive order per NPR.

Trump ordered the Education Secretary to submit guidance within 60 days on how states could do just that.

Trump's orders also seek to curb teaching of what he deemed leftist ideology in schools. One directive, titled "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling," threatens to withhold federal funds from schools that teach concepts like "white privilege" and "unconscious bias."

"Students have a right to learn about how discrimination can be entrenched in law and society. If the U.S. denies young people this knowledge, it has little hope of eradicating racism," Trey Walk, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, told CBS.

Nearly half of U.S. public schools already ban teachers from discussing systemic racism, UCLA Law reports.

Teaching about racial inequality is essential, UCLA Law argues, as it shows how present-day disparities are rooted in historical oppression. They add segregation, biased discipline and unequal testing continue to harm students of color and perpetuate racism in education.