In Jackson, Wyoming, the long-standing debate concerning federal oversight versus local control in education took center stage recently. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited a local school to underscore a renewed effort to return authority over K-12 education back to the states. This visit was part of her extensive 50-state “Returning Education to the States Tour,” an initiative designed to highlight successful state-level programs and amplify local voices in educational policy development.
Joined by Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, Secretary McMahon toured classrooms where students were engaged in a diverse range of subjects, from number theory to classical literature. During a subsequent roundtable discussion, she commended the students for their articulacy and inquisitiveness. She reiterated her belief that improvements in test scores and learning outcomes are primarily driven by state-specific policies, rather than directives from the federal level. “You look at the states that have been so successful raising their scores… that’s not because of anything that is done at the federal level,” she told Cowboy State Daily, the Wyoming-based news organization covering the event.
A Nationwide Tour with a Singular Message
The secretary’s stop in Jackson is one of many on her cross-country journey. Her itinerary has included previous visits to FuturEdge Charter Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colorado. The tour aims not only to showcase educational best practices but also to reinforce the administration’s broader goal of reducing federal bureaucracy in education.
McMahon’s statements come amid an ongoing national conversation about the appropriate role of the U.S. Department of Education. While she refrained from outright calling for the department’s dismantling, she clearly articulated that the initiative focuses on removing bureaucratic hurdles and empowering states and local communities to spearhead educational reforms. According to Cowboy State Daily, McMahon’s commitment to restoring state control and streamlining the department’s operations aligns perfectly with President Donald Trump’s overarching vision.
Governor Gordon echoed these sentiments, noting that Wyoming’s unique educational landscape often struggles to accommodate national mandates designed for larger, more densely populated states. He argued that local flexibility is crucial, allowing students in a state like Wyoming, where choices might otherwise be limited, to pursue a broader range of subjects like both math and band, free from rigid federal constraints.
Civics and the Classroom
Secretary McMahon also underscored the critical importance of civics education, an area she believes has been largely overlooked in the national curriculum. She expressed hope that her tour would inspire states to reintegrate civics as a core component of student learning, thereby ensuring that the next generation fully understands their rights and responsibilities as citizens.
This tour runs parallel to a series of federal policy initiatives aimed at curtailing the Department of Education’s influence. President Trump has consistently advocated for states to reclaim control over curricula, often labeling the department as a source of inefficiency. In March, he signed an executive order outlining a framework for transferring the department’s authority back to the states—a move McMahon characterizes as a “momentous final mission” for her office, as reported by Cowboy State Daily.
Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, who was also present at the event, reinforced the administration’s message. She hailed the shift as historic, emphasizing that empowering local classrooms, rather than distant federal offices, represents a tangible triumph for students and families across the state.
State Control in Practice
McMahon’s tour serves to illustrate a fundamental philosophical divide in American education: the ongoing tension between centralized control and local autonomy. By highlighting successful, locally-driven classrooms in Jackson, she is sending a clear message that states should have the freedom to experiment, innovate, and establish educational priorities that are best suited to their diverse student populations.
As the Secretary prepares to continue her tour to Montana, her message remains unequivocal: the future of American education, she contends, rightfully belongs to the states, with federal authorities playing a supportive role as facilitators rather than dictatorial architects.