As president-elect Donald TrumpThe second administration continues to take shape, and speculation is rife about who might become the next Secretary of Education, a position that could play a crucial role in fulfilling one of Trump’s biggest campaign promises .

There is no clear favorite for Trump’s choice. Political pundits have floated the names of several state superintendents who have aligned themselves with the GOP’s culture war battles, such as ban literature which opponents say presents students with inappropriate topics.

Asset pledged to end the Department of Education (DOE) during his bid for a second term in the White House and has doubled down on his plans since his victory over Vice President Kamala Harrissaying in a video message this week that he plans to dismantle the Department of Education “very early” in his second administration.

Who is in the running to become Trump’s education secretary?

According to a report from Inside higher educationexperts predict that Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters and Louisiana State Superintendent Cade Brumley could be on Trump’s short list for his next education secretary.

Walters has earned a national reputation in recent years. Over the summer, his office demanded that all public schools teach the Bible in classan initiative that met with immense legal pushback.

Brumley’s office participated in a similar initiative in Louisiana to demand that the Ten Commandments be displayed in all public classrooms— a federal judge ruled last week that the mandate was unconstitutional and ordered state education officials to take no action to enforce the measures.

Other names in the running for education secretary could include Tiffany Justice, co-founder of the conservative group Moms for Freedom which has led to initiatives to ban certain books from classrooms and school libraries across the country. Experts who spoke to Insider Higher Ed also mentioned Christopher Rufo, a New College of Florida board member and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.

Trump’s first Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVosalso expressed interest in returning to his position. An advocate of school choice, DeVos moved to limit DOE bureaucracy during her term. However, she resigned on January 7, 2021, following the attack on the US Capitol.

“I have been very clear on what I believe needs to be the agenda, which is to pass the federal tax credit and take power away from the Department of Education,” DeVos told EducationWeek in a report published last week. “If President-elect Trump wanted to talk to me, I would be very open to that discussion.”

What does the 2025 project say about the Ministry of Education?

The DOE shutdown was one of the key elements of the controversial Project 2025, a 900-page political proposal developed by The Heritage Foundation. Trump has repeatedly claimed he had “nothing to do” with the document.

Blueprint 2025 hopes to reduce the federal government’s role in education and allow state officials to set their own programs. The document also says it wants to promote a “diverse set of school options” for parents to choose for their students.

Project 2025 also suggests that DOE responsibilities be redirected to other federal agencies. For example, the Department of Justice would handle any civil rights violations in schools, Treasury would handle student loan issues, and the Department of Health and Human Services would handle the rest.

Will Trump Shut Down DDo you own the US Department of Education?

Trump is unlikely to succeed in shutting down the DOE. This would require a Senate qualified majority of 60 votes. Republicans took control of the upper house of Congress but only hold 53 seats, while Democrats and independents make up the other 47. Senate Republicans are also highly unlikely to abolish the filibuster.

Eliminating the DOE could also send shockwaves to millions of Americans by impacting student loan plans and hitting funding for school districts that rely most on federal grants. It could also harm students in low-income schools and those in special education programs.