Education Secretary Linda McMahon wants the modern American canon to include alternative stories of some of the most relentless tragedies in the world.
Speaking to the Committee on Education and Labor Power at the Chamber on Wednesday against the backdrop of White House efforts yes Disassembly Her agency McMahon claims that the treatment of the Trump administration of Harvard University – which includes orders from the University to introduce conservative perspectives in its curriculum – is fair.
“You say that Harvard can have its funding and its international students back, if and when it teaches what the Trump administration requires,” said California Representative Mark Takano, referring to Letter April 11 From a finished one, which effectively bought the university’s federal funding, while Harvard eliminates “all criteria, preferences and practices … that function as ideological lacquo tests.”
“Do you refuse to hire the Holocaust of Holocaust as a member of the Harvard History Faculty is considered an ideological lacus test?” Takano asked.
“I believe there should be a variety of perspectives on the teachings and opinions about campuses,” McMahon said.
“But what about this situation … would it be a denial of Holocaust like that?” Takano continued.
But McMahon diverted directly, answering the question by pointing to Harvard’s decision instead dismiss leaders at his center of research in the Middle East.
Takano also pressed McMahon whether the ordinance would force Harvard to hire teachers who rejected the results of the 2020 presidential election or the efficiency of vaccines. In response, the secretary of education insisted that “there should be different perspectives” at the most elite universities in America – even if these perspectives are not based on any matter of science, fact or evidence. McMahon also quarreled for the impression of a “political ideology”, which she claims to be a “false story”.
Representative of Pennsylvania Summer Lee too torch McMahon for the use of the education department to introduce dangerous and unfounded ideas in American history by asking a former professional promoter to struggle to explain what the “two countries” will be in African-American history.
“During the hearing of your confirmation, you were asked by Senator Chris Murphy if the African-American History Class violates the administration’s position on diversity, justice and inclusion. You said you would look at this,” Lee said. “Did you look at it?”
“I don’t think African research or the Middle East studies or Chinese research is part of DEI – if they are taught as the common history package,” McMahon replied. “So if you give the facts to both sides, of course they are not.”
“I don’t know what both sides of African-American history would be,” Lee said.
“Well, if the history of Afro -American is part of …”, McMahon began, before Lee intervened to claim that it would be impossible to learn the whole story in single semesters.
“Don’t you agree that it makes sense that there will be separate courses for these training courses?” Lee said, stating that the same teaching philosophy exists in fields of study, from literature to music. “One would not study baroque music and must necessarily learn about African research at the same time.”
In the end, McMahon acknowledged that she had agreed that African history could be taught as an isolated field of training without being considered a “Dei course”.
Trump signed an enforcement order for the separation of the Education Division for Parts in March. The order was approved by McMahon.
The Agency is historically responsible for the approval, monitoring and distribution of federal financial assistance, such as PELL grants and other public assistance provided to the public through FAFSA. It is also responsible for the evaluation and analysis of K-12 systems in America, as well as for summarizing data and research on US educational policies. The department also leads the implementation of Title IX and guarantees that the US public has equal access to valuable education.
In the immediate awakening of the order McMahon wrote the mass dismissal of more than half Agency employees.
The education department was already the smallest cabinet agency, with just over 4,000 employees. His budget cost him US taxpayers $ 268 billion in 2024, approximately four percent of total costs.