WASHINGTON, October 16, 2026 – U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon delivered the “Returning Education to the States” message of the Trump administration to Minnesota on Wednesday, October 14, visiting classrooms that teach work training classes at Rochester Community and Technical College.
Rochester was one of three cities in Minnesota visited as part of a national tour, which according to the U.S. Education Department is aimed at empowering families and listening to students, teachers, and local officials about methods that have been successful in their communities. Secretary Linda McMahon was accompanied by Republican Representatives Pete Stauber and Brad Finstad from districts eight and first, respectively.
McMahon’s message was clear. Education is successful when state and community leaders have enough freedom to align programs with local education and workforce demands. “An education system that responds must be free from mandates coming from Washington, D.C., especially in areas such as civics education, early literacy, and vocational education,” she commented in her statement following the tour.
On tour at Rochester Community and Technical College’s Heintz Center, McMahon examined training facilities for law enforcement, carpentry, building maintenance, dentistry, and automotive repair. Praises the facility, but also noted the severe lack of skilled trade workers in the nation.
Politics and policies loomed large during the tour. According to McMahon, “‘Returning education to the states’ doesn’t mean that the federal government will stop funding,” where he referred to the Education Department as a pass-through agency and promised that federal dollars would continue flowing into the states. This visit provided a very visible platform for Stauber and Finstad as well, along with a member of the Cabinet a few weeks before the November midterm election.
Local tensions were clearly evident in the background. Even though McMahon did not visit a K–12 school in Rochester, Rochester Public Schools continued to be in the discussion after the Department of Education cancelled a federal grant for mental health programs in 2025 based on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. In response to the district’s appeal rejection, McMahon hinted that programs could go ahead if the administration found that the DEI aspects had been stripped away.
Advocates consider the emphasis on state control an efficient method for reducing bureaucracy and making education fit the demands of the region’s industry. At the same time, opponents are concerned that this will limit the role of the federal government in terms of civil rights monitoring or that funding will be based on ideology. As the tour continues to its next destinations, educators in Minnesota cannot agree.
