Tony Thurmond, California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction who previously served on the West Contra Costa School Board, the Richmond City Council and in the California State Assembly, wrote an op-ed piece in Los Angeles magazine which addresses former President Donald Trump‘s plan to abolish the Department of Education if re-elected in November. (He’s been pushing the idea since his 2016 election.)
During his 2022 CPAC keynote speech, Trump referred to a left-wing takeover of education policy including the alleged teaching of critical race theory (an academic concept almost never taught in public schools before college) and said: “If federal bureaucrats are going to push this radicalism, we should abolish the Department of Education.”
Trump said he also wanted to introduce prayer in public schools and teach children to “love their country.” The crowd of conservative Republicans loudly applauded.
As seen in the campaign video below, Trump claims: “We’re going to end education coming out of Washington, DC. We’re going to close it up – all those buildings all over the place and people that in many cases hate our children. We’re going to send it all back to the states.”
Thurmond, who is running for Governor of California in 2026, argues: “Eradicating the Department would result in more polarization in terms of educational outcomes and learning across the nation, less funding for students across the country and most critically the elimination of programs that provide critical aid to low income students and students with special needs.”
The plan to eliminate the Department of Education if Trump is re-elected is outlined in The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which suggests a thorough review of “the many education-related regulations promulgated by the Biden Administration, as well as the school meals program and the Income-Driven student loan program.”
I didn’t come from money, power, or influence.
— Tony Thurmond (@TonyThurmond) September 26, 2023
I'm running for Governor to be a voice for those who need one — because California may be working for millionaires and billionaires but for the rest of California — we need real change. Join us: https://t.co/lNHuSoTzZO pic.twitter.com/sbsEtt0DzZ
As seen and heard in his campaign ad above, Thurmond says he and his brother were raised by a cousin after the death of his mother. “We grew up in poverty, relied on food stamps and public assistance to survive.” He added, “For us, public schools weren’t just an equalizer, they gave us a pathway to a better life. College, grad school, a career in social work and education. All made possible because of great public schools.”
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