(The Center Square) – Illinois Republicans are praising President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Education. Democrats are critical of Trump’s plan to close the federal agency.
Trump announced Linda McMahon to be the U.S. Secretary of Education this week.
“As Secretary of Education, Linda will fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice’ to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families,” Trump said in a statement. “Linda will use her decades of Leadership experience, and deep understanding of both Education and Business, to empower the next Generation of American Students and Workers, and make America Number One in Education in the World. We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort.”
Wednesday, state Rep. Blaine Wilhour praised McMahon as Trump’s pick.
“Linda McMahon did a great job cutting through the B.S. at the Small Business [Administration] in the last Trump presidency, so we’re pretty excited about it,” Wilhour said.
Last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker reacted to Trump wanting to end the department and send money back to states.
“Great, but what about, are we going to require that special education is a part of what school districts are offering, because that is what the federal government has been doing and frankly we need more not less,” Pritzker said.
Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, an ally of the Chicago Teachers Union, said Trump’s policy is “a threat to everything that is sensible.”
“He wants to dismantle public education, a system that was built by descendants of slaves particularly in the south,” Johnson said.
Wilhour said Trump’s proposal brings education more local.
“Local people determining what’s best for local students and anytime we can get that closer to home it’s going to be better for everybody,” Wilhour said.
He said Trump’s pick on school choice nationwide is important as school choice isn’t happening in Illinois.
“Like they do in almost every other state in the country is because of the power of the teachers unions,” Wilhour said. “It’s the power of the teachers unions and their checkbooks that are funding almost every politician in both parties.”
The Democratic-controlled legislature let Illinois’ Invest in Kids school choice scholarship tax credit expire last year. That was the only school choice program Illinois had.
Trump takes office Jan. 20. It’s unclear when McMahon’s appointment would be approved by the U.S. Senate.
