U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Thursday she is working to "shut down the bureaucracy of education," telling an audience in New Haven that she wants to diminish federal involvement in schools and give more discretion to states.
Speaking at an event on the campus of Yale University, McMahon defended moves by President Donald Trump's administration to radically reshape the Department of Education since his return to office.
McMahon said the federal government will continue providing education funding in the future, but direct more of it through block grant programs that empower states to spend the money where it's most needed.
The approach will help school leaders identify promising programs that can be replicated across the country, McMahon said.
“I want to leave behind, if you will, a toolkit of best practices that you can deliver to states to say, 'Look, this is what's working. You might want to give this a try,'" McMahon said.
Her remarks come amid controversial policy shifts in higher education by the Trump administration, including moves to freeze billions in research funding and grants to universities and pressure schools to address antisemitism, crack down on campus protest and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, among other changes.
McMahon, a Greenwich resident and former CEO of Stamford-based World Wrestling Entertainment, stood by the administration's tactics, saying the threat of withholding funds is a tool it can use to ensure universities spend money wisely and for the intended purpose.
"The goal is really to make sure that universities are giving equal opportunity across their campuses," she said.
McMahon's visit was part of a speaker series organized by the Buckley Institute, which describes itself as an independent nonprofit working to promote intellectual diversity and freedom of speech at Yale.
McMahon served as administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term. She later helped establish Trump’s second administration as co-chair of his transition team, and was confirmed as education secretary last year.
During an appearance that lasted about 45 minutes, McMahon did not address many of the divisive policy changes enacted under her leadership. She said promoting literacy is her top priority, and touted the importance of school choice programs and career and technical education.
McMahon said she visited a community college in Connecticut earlier in the day, and met with the president of Yale during her stop at the school's campus, which included a visit to Science Hill, the site of a major redevelopment project to support cutting-edge research into physical sciences and engineering.
Responding to a question from the moderator, McMahon also said she discussed so-called grade inflation with Yale's president.
"One of the things that the university is looking at is to make sure that professors are grading accordingly in their classes, and that there's not this grade inflation," she said.
McMahon also briefly addressed recent controversy around a planned visit to an elementary school in Fairfield. Just hours after the event was announced, Fairfield Public Schools told families it was canceled due to community backlash.
McMahon said the event was planned as part of her nationwide "History Rocks!" tour, which celebrates the country's 250th anniversary. Events typically include trivia games focused on history and civics that don't have a partisan slant, she said.
“These are really feel-good programs of assembly," she said, "and when you get that pushback from parents who are saying no this is going to be partisan … it’s really a minority of a few loud voices that are just calling ... to maybe just make a statement of their own.”
McMahon has run unsuccessfully as a Republican for U.S. Senate in Connecticut. In 2009, she served for one year on the Connecticut Board of Education, appointed by then-Gov. Jodi Rell, a Republican. She has also served on the board of trustees of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield.
Responding to another question, McMahon reflected on how her time as a wrestling industry executive prepared her for her current role. She joked that she can "give you a mean body slam,” then said on a more serious note she benefitted throughout her life by always being open to new opportunities.
She stressed the importance of having university programs that teach older workers new skills.
“How great is it that we have these opportunities to go in a different direction?" McMahon said. "Just be wide open. Don’t think that you’re limited in your opportunity to do things. Be willing to take it on.”
