Education Secretary Linda McMahon, despite expressing a desire to close the Department of Education, is actively reshaping education policy with a focus on dismantling public schools. Her department has significantly increased funding for charter schools and encouraged states to use federal funds for private and virtual education. Officials are also threatening penalties for public schools that maintain programs for Black or Hispanic students and have launched initiatives like "patriotic education." McMahon has hired numerous political appointees with ultraconservative backgrounds who advocate for parental choice in education, including using government funds to create customized learning plans. These plans can cover private tuition, online learning, tutors, and other expenses. Critics, including disability advocates and civil rights organizations, express strong concerns about this shift, fearing it will lead to a less inclusive, more segregated, and less democratic educational system. Groups like Moms for Liberty and Defending Education, which have ties to conservative billionaires, are influential in these policy changes. These organizations advocate for school vouchers, the incorporation of religious principles, and a reduction in public school oversight. Their ultimate goal, according to some statements, is to see public schools largely replaced by alternative educational models.