From WWE to possible U.S. Secretary of Education

The following column originally appeared in a number of APG of East Central Newspapers during late November and early December, 2024. This includes the Press&News, Sun Sailor and MessageMedia.

 

From WWE to possible U.S. Secretary of Education

 

President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, is almost certainly the first to slap her daughter in a World Wrestling Entertainment ring. Traditionally, Secretaries of Education have considerable administrative experience in education. Not true for McMahon, although she has been an administrator. Who is she and what impact might she have in Minnesota?

Briefly, McMahon is an extremely wealthy businesswoman who helped found and served as CEO of the WWE. She sometimes entered the ring. See 5:20 here.

McMahon wrote that she once considered being a teacher. She’s on the Board of Trustees of Sacred Heart College and was a member of the Connecticut State Board of Education.

McMahon led the Small Business Administration in the first Trump administration. Since then, she’s chaired the America First Policy Institute board. This conservative group has proposed many ideas that President-elect Trump has endorsed. It also has specifically criticized some Minnesota education policies.

The best indication of what McMahon may promote comes from the America First Policy website education section. Here are three (of many) things that seem likely, based on statements from Trump and McMahon.

• There will be more promotion of apprenticeships, along with career and technical education. I think this could be helpful. There are many fine jobs in this area and many career/technical openings. The administration may also propose federal scholarships in these fields.
• Increased discussion of public funds and/or federal tax credits supporting family choice to attend private and parochial schools. I’m not a fan, for reasons I’ll explain in a future column. Minnesota has wisely emphasized public school choice via open enrollment, magnet public schools and charter public schools. With the Minnesota House currently tied 67-67 between Republicans and DFLers, and many Republicans advocating private school choice, there will be much more attention on this.
• Less attention from the U.S. Department of Education on the rights of transgender and non-binary youth. While the Minnesota Department of Education and Governor Tim Walz support these youth, I think some policy guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education will be reversed. Expect considerable controversy here.

In researching this column, I asked 10 Minnesota education groups for their reactions to McMahon. Some were cautious.

Sam Snuggerud, MDE communications director responded: “MDE remains committed to ensuring every student receives a world-class education from qualified teachers in safe, nurturing school environments, no matter who is elected or leading in Washington, D.C.”

Scott Olson, Minnesota State (Colleges & Universities System) Chancellor wrote:

“At this point we do not have a firm grasp on potential policy changes at the federal level and it would be unwise to speculate. However, what I can tell you is that Minnesota State remains steadfastly committed to all our students’ success so that they can achieve their educational goals and become the workforce our state’s employers need.”

The Minnesota Catholic Conference, which supports public funds allowing a family’s choice of private and parochial as well as public schools wrote that they would not comment at this time.

Denise Specht, Education Minnesota President told me: “Linda McMahon was picked because she is loyal to an agenda that’s destructive for the public schools attended by more than 800,000 Minnesota students every day. Our union will resist any push to defund those schools with vouchers for private and religious schools, to strip away federal funding for high-poverty schools, to force educators to whitewash lessons and ban books, or to dissolve the U.S. Department of Education entirely. Her qualifications, or lack of them, are beside the point when the extreme Project 2025 plan is coming.”

Unquestionably, there’ll be new pressures and priorities coming from Washington, D.C. Ideas with bi-partisan support such as expanding career and technical education, will help youngsters. In other areas, expect considerable debate with uncertain impact on students.

Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota public school educator and PTA parent, founded and currently serves as Senior Fellow of the Center for School Change. Reactions welcome: joe@centerforschoolchange.org