Despite Democrats protesting President Donald Trump's plan to dismantle the Department of Education, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said returning education to the states is a "nonpartisan issue."
"I'm not getting push back, because if it were just Democrat states or Republican states that were doing well or doing poorly, that would be one thing, but it's many of the states on both sides of the aisle. That's why this is really a nonpartisan issue," McMahon explained in an exclusive interview at the National Governors Association (NGA) summer meeting.
The Education Secretary participated in discussions with governors from both parties at the Colorado Springs, Colo., meeting, and her department announced the release of roughly $6.8 billion in previously frozen federal funds for K-12 programs ahead of her panel discussion with the outgoing NGA chair, Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo.
"It's just incredibly important that if we are going to return education to the states, we have to talk to the governors," McMahon emphasized. "What's meaningful to them? How can we work together? This is both sides of the aisle because, clearly, education is a nonpartisan issue."
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Trump signed an executive order earlier this year to dismantle the Department of Education, fulfilling one of his key campaign promises during the 2024 presidential election.
McMahon explained that returning education to the states "just means giving them back the part that is now provided by the federal government, and they're anxious for it."
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In a joint statement on behalf of the NGA, Polis and incoming NGA chair Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Ok., said they were "thankful these bipartisan discussions with Secretary McMahon and other key officials during the NGA Summer Meeting led to the distribution of these education funds," adding that they are "proud our advocacy helped secure this vital support for states and districts."
The Education Secretary, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), explained to Fox News Digital that participating in events like NGA, having discussions with governors from both parties and visiting as many states as possible is critical to understanding America's diverse educational landscape.
McMahon said she has already visited different types of schools, from charter schools to public schools, to learn the best practices across the country.
"Every state does have different needs," McMahon said. "There's no one size fits all, but what I hear with every governor and almost every educator coming in, is what we are stressing, which is literacy."
A Department of Education report released earlier this year revealed that American students' reading skills have continued to decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, and their math skills have barely improved.
Despite the dismal report, McMahon said "the future for education is very bright" because the Trump administration has called attention to the "Nation's Report Card," which reveals "how the United States doesn't compare all that favorably with the rest of the world."
"The president is very keen on making sure that those levels rise, so that the United States takes its rightful place as one of the leaders in education in the world," McMahon explained.
And when asked how the Education Secretary would address teachers who are anxious about the dismantling the Department of Education, McMahon said she is focused on ensuring best practices are carried out nationwide, while empowering states to deliver for teachers' individual needs.
"[Teachers] are working with their school boards, they're working with their principals and superintendents and their governors to have the best policies in their states," McMahon said. "This is a win for teachers because governors are already talking about that teachers should be paid fairly, that they should be allowed to innovate in the classroom, that they shouldn't spend their time doing paperwork and regulatory compliance. They should be able to spend that time with the students."
"Let's let teachers teach. This is all good," McMahon explained.
