US Education Department requiring NDAs in Trump reorganization

22/11/2025 12:06

The Trump administration is advancing its plan to dismantle the Department of Education and is using non-disclosure agreements to shield official discussions with the administration, according to four people familiar with the changes. Education Secretary Linda McMahon this week announced plans for most federal education programs and staff to relocate to six other federal agencies, like the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services.



But the full scope of logistics and timing remains unclear to the public, education advocates, and Congress, which oversees and funds the department.



The reorganization marks a significant step toward a long-standing conservative goal, but the non-disclosure agreements for senior officials and directors are unusual for the department with no national security role, according to two people familiar with the strategy.



It is unclear how widely the agency has used NDAs, or if they have been used in a similar way before. One person familiar with them said the goal was to prevent information sharing outside of the department.



A senior Education Department official on Friday said the use of the non-disclosure agreements was in line with business and governmental practices and allowed for deliberative discussions and changes between agencies and their career staff.