Education Secretary Linda McMahon says she and her boss in the White House are both “strong proponents” of school choice, but the federal government’s role in expanding it will be limited under President Donald Trump.

“It’s a continuing process” that must be pursued at the state level, not mandated by Washington, she said.

“The rub is that teacher unions say it’s going to bankrupt the public schools (and serve only students with no other options). I think we’re clearly proving that is not the case.”

McMahon’s comments came Tuesday afternoon during a roundtable discussion on education at the Kendall campus of True North Classical Academy, a charter network operating in Miami-Dade’s unincorporated Kendall neighborhood. It was one of multiple school visits she had planned in the county that day.

Other roundtable participants included, among others, Interim Florida International University President and immediate past Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega, Miami-Dade School Board member Monical Colucci, former state Rep. Michael Bileca, charter school magnate Fernando Zuleta, and former Collier County School Board member Erika Donalds, a pro-charter education activist whose husband, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, is the presumptive GOP front-runner in the 2026 Governor’s race.

Zuleta, the founder and President of for-profit charter school management company Academica, said that while Florida has been a leader on school choice, many places in the U.S. remain “choice deserts.”

He urged McMahon to look into the matter. McMahon nodded while he spoke, but made no commitment to do so.

While the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDOE) role in implementing school choice policies will be limited, Donalds hinted that the agency isn’t taking a passive stance on the matter. She said people should “be on the lookout” in the coming days for federal guidance on further empowering parents.

McMahon, a 76-year-old former professional wrestling promoter, past Administrator of the Small Business Administration and ex-member of the Connecticut State Board of Education, reiterated that she has a “mandate” from Trump to abolish the USDOE. Last week, the Department announced it was cutting its staff from some 4,100 employees to 2,200.

That was a “first step” toward fulfilling the President’s wishes of shutting down the agency, she said. She referred to the layoffs as “trimming.”

McMahon said she’s tasking the remaining staff at USDOE staff with assembling a set of guiding principles from which state and local governments can take cues.

“We really want to leave best practice in place to provide states with the right tools,” she said, adding that if she is indeed America’s last Education Secretary, “I will have been successful at my job.”

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Citrus County’s March Madness is a full-court press.

Over 100 Citrus politicians, business owners and community leaders pour into Tallahassee this week for the annual Citrus County Legislative Days.

During a jam-packed two days, Citrus Countians will meet with legislators, agency directors and potentially even First Lady Casey DeSantis to shore up support for local projects and issues of local concern.

The Citrus County Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Citrus sponsor the event.

“One hundred and twenty Citrus County residents will converge on Tallahassee to advocate for everything from the environment to mental health,” Chamber President and CEO Josh Wooten said.

“It’s amazing for two big reasons. One is that so many of us give a darn that they take time out of their busy schedules to spend their money to make the trip. Two is that this unified approach works. In addition to supporting our various agendas with lawmakers, we have had tremendous success over the years corralling dollars from individual agencies like FDOT and DEP.”

The roster of attendees is a who’s who of the Citrus County political landscape: Commissioners Rebecca Bays, Janet Barek (making her first trip), Holly Davis and Diana Finegan; County Administrator Steve Howard; Crystal River City Manager Audra Curts; Crystal River Councilwoman Cindi Frink; School Board members Joe Faherty (whose wife, Dawn, is an aide to freshman Rep. JJ Grow) and Ken Frink; Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson; Superintendent of Schools Scott Hebert; Inverness Councilwoman Crystal Lizanich; Sheriff Dave Vincent; and Tax Collector Janice Warren.

On Wednesday, the Citrus County contingent will fan out across the capital for individual meetings. Some are with just a few people in a legislator’s office. Others involve holding court with top officials including Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue, Attorney General James Uthmeier and Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly.

Wednesday evening, it’s dinner at the Governor’s Club where top lawmakers are known to stop by.

Bays, the board Chair, said Legislative Days provides valuable interaction with lawmakers on issues close to home.

“It’s truly humbling, as a Commissioner, to see so many businesses and residents come together at the capital to ensure our county’s representation,” she said.

“In addition to our group events, I have scheduled several one-on-one meetings to discuss our county’s needs and explore partnerships in economic development, transportation and the environment. I’m all for collaboration when it comes to tackling the issues we face in the county. With several bills on the horizon that could potentially have negative impacts, it’s crucial to stay vigilant. Citrus County Days provides a great opportunity to do just that.”

On Thursday, a busload of Leadership Citrus participants will arrive for a morning of nonstop speakers at the Tallahassee Community College Center for Innovation. The lineup includes representatives from the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Department of Education and Florida Association of Counties, as well as Grow, an Inverness Republican participating in his first Regular Session.

A luncheon follows. Senate President Ben Albritton was guest speaker last year; this year, Florida’s First Lady is tentatively scheduled as keynote speaker.

“Citrus County is well known for one of the best organized and impactful trips during Session,” said Wooten, the Chamber President. “Our delegation appreciates the support as well.”

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