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Linda McMahon isn鈥檛 in charge of the U.S. Department of Education yet, but if the Senate confirms her, she鈥檒l be among friends. At least four former staff members from the America First Policy Institute, the right-wing think tank she chairs, have grabbed top posts as the senior leadership team takes shape. 

They include new chief of staff Rachel Oglesby and Jonathan Pidluzny, deputy chief of staff for policy and programs. As the institute鈥檚 chief state action officer, Oglesby focused on promoting job opportunities that don鈥檛 require college degrees, while Pidluzny directed higher education reform work, including to eliminate university diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. 

Civil rights experts immediately noted the addition of Candice Jackson as deputy general counsel. An architect of the 2020 Title IX rule, in 2017 that most sexual assault accusations 鈥渇all into the category of 鈥榳e were both drunk,鈥� 鈥� but later apologized. Another addition with experience from Trump鈥檚 first term is Tom Wheeler, a former Department of Justice official who was Obama-era guidance that said trans students should be allowed to use bathrooms that match their gender identity. He鈥檚 been named principal deputy general counsel. 

Policy experts and former department staff said they expected to see names from America First, which McMahon chaired after leaving her post as head of the Small Business Administration during President Donald Trump鈥檚 first term. Little known prior to the election, the institute helped shape the aggressive agenda he began to execute on Monday with a series of executive orders, including that says the U.S. government only recognizes 鈥渢wo sexes, male and female.鈥� Outside of the education department, , who led the think tank, is up for agriculture secretary, and , the organization鈥檚 former chief policy officer, is expected to join the White House Domestic Policy Council.聽

鈥淟ots of AFPI folks, which is not surprising with Linda McMahon at the helm.鈥� said Jackie Wernz, who runs Education Civil Rights Solutions and served as an attorney in the department while Jackson was there. Wheeler, she said, is also well-known in 鈥渆ducation law circles鈥� and has experience working within the 鈥渃onfines of the federal government.鈥� But with Trump already challenging existing laws on issues such as immigration and school safety, she said tradition might not matter.

鈥淚t will be interesting to see how he develops now that the rules on how to govern seem to be out the window,鈥� she said.

While he鈥檚 not from America First, Steve Warzoha, the new White House liaison, is a longtime McMahon colleague from Connecticut, where he led the Greenwich Republican Town Committee. He鈥檚 also spent some time at , Trump鈥檚 Florida headquarters, and according to , was arrested for driving under the influence in 2022 after leaving the area.

Asked about the arrest, Madi Biedermann, the department鈥檚 new deputy assistant secretary for communications and outreach, said she wouldn鈥檛 鈥渃onfirm or comment on personnel.鈥�

While the team thus far is light on K-12 education experience, those names are likely to emerge once Trump nominates an assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education. Biedermann said she expects more announcements next week.

The department unveiled the new appointees, who don鈥檛 require Senate confirmation, as McMahon awaits a hearing before the Senate. A date has not yet been set. On Saturday, Trump also nominated former Tennessee education chief Penny Schwinn as deputy secretary. 

Several conservatives said they were impressed by the list. Rick Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, called them 鈥渟mart, experienced people who know the law, the policies, and the regulatory context,鈥� And David Cleary, a principal with The Group, a lobbying firm, said they are a 鈥渕uch better prepared team than in Trump 45鈥� and show the administration is interested in more than just school choice. 

Experts widely believe he鈥檒l escalate of civil rights protections for Jewish students. While he has not yet named an assistant secretary for the Office for Civil Rights, Craig Trainor, who spent time at America First Policy Institute as senior litigation counsel could help lead those efforts. The newly named deputy assistant secretary for policy in OCR, he led investigations into antisemitism on college campuses as a senior special counsel for the House judiciary committee under Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chair.

But civil rights advocates said the department鈥檚 core function is to protect the rights of all students. Many who fought for LGBTQ students鈥� rights during the Obama administration are alarmed. 

The 2016 guidance on rights for trans students were 鈥渄eveloped after years of meeting with stakeholder groups, tracking the case law developments and looking at the research,鈥� said Shiwali Patel, an attorney with the National Women鈥檚 Law Center who worked in the Obama administration and left during Trump鈥檚 first term. While the Biden administration wrote those protections into Title IX, Trump鈥檚 picks, she said, are undoing that regulation 鈥渨ithout thoughtfulness and care.鈥�

Liz King, senior director for education equity at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, an advocacy organization, said the new faces at the department represent 鈥渁 very narrow slice of America.鈥�

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