This is Brian Lair's Daily Politics Podcasts from WNYC Studios.

Today is Thursday, November 21st.

I'm Bridget Bergen, senior reporter in the WNYC and Gothamist Newsroom.

Filling in for Brian today,

President-elect Trump is moving forward aggressively to name new positions in his incoming

administration.

Earlier this week, he announced longtime ally Linda McMahon as his pick for the U.S. Department

of Education.

She ran the Small Business Administration in his first term.

Now, this pick comes even as Trump has talked about dismantling the education department, which was also a key recommendation in Project 2025, that Heritage Foundation book that may help shape the policies of his incoming administration.

So what does this mean on the ground? In classrooms and at schools?

How will funding be affected?

How soon will students, teachers, and families

in this country experience changes?

Joining me now to answer my questions and yours

is Erica Meltzer, national editor at Chalkbeat,

where she covers education policy and politics.

Erica, welcome to WNYC.

Thanks so much for having me.

And Erica, as a way into this conversation, let's go broad.

Can you give us some background on the role of the U.S. Department of Education, what falls under its purview,

and what does it do? Absolutely. Something that I think is important for everyone to understand in this

...