Who Is In Charge of the Education Department Right Now? Few Details Are Out There
Jessica Blake
January 22, 2025
On day two of the new Trump administration, the president has only publicly announced an acting education secretary. Who else is running the agency on an interim basis is not yet clear.
President Donald Trump tapped a veteran bureaucrat to lead the Education Department until the Senate confirms his appointee Linda McMahon, but he has so far held off on announcing other interim leaders for the agency.
However, that’s not too unusual for the second day of a new administration, policy experts say, and while the department didn’t respond to a request for comment, a spokesperson said more details about the department’s landing team can be expected in the coming days.
The landing team refers to a group of political appointees that don’t require Senate confirmation, take up leadership roles shortly after inauguration and help the new administration get up to speed. Members of the landing team are often also selected to serve as acting officials and fill the role of a nominated senior official until they are confirmed. In addition to the landing team, civil servants or career staffers help to keep the agency running.
