Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Thursday called for educators to contribute to a broader nationwide shift toward more civil political discourse in light of recent violence on school and university campuses, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
During a Ronald Reagan Institute event here, McMahon struck a different, more conciliatory tone from President Donald Trump and others in his administration in the week following Kirk’s killing.
She also drew attention to the continued prevalence of school shootings as evidence that the country needs to collectively improve its ability to “agree to disagree.”
“These things are still happening,” she said. “We have to make sure schools are safe. We have to wind down this discourse that we’re having.”
McMahon said two other shootings took place in Colorado on the same day last week as the high-profile murder of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and Trump ally. One took place Sept. 10 at Evergreen High School in Colorado, where two students were injured; it’s not clear which other event McMahon was referencing, and an Education Department spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for clarification.
Educators have a role to play in helping heal the nation’s divisions, McMahon said.
“We have to look at ourselves,” McMahon said. “How can we be leaders for this? How can we, in our engagement, and show our students, if we have opportunities to be on campus or address different groups, to show that we can approach it in a very civil manner? We can agree to disagree.”
McMahon on Thursday characterized Kirk as a model for sharing strong political views without being “antagonistic” or “demeaning.” Kirk, a widely popular figure among conservatives, had an extensive history of comments critics have deemed racist and sexist.
“He could kinda get in your face a little bit. He could be aggressive in how he talked to you. But he was always civil,” McMahon said.
McMahon’s comments came eight days after Kirk, 31, was shot to death in front of a large crowd of students at Utah Valley University. His murder has prompted a firestorm of debate among politicians and on social media over who’s responsible for America’s recent surge in political violence.
Trump and other administration officials in the last week have blamed Kirk’s murder on “the radical left.” They’ve floated revoking tax-exempt status for progressive nonprofits and classifying liberal groups as domestic terrorists.
Conservative politicians in numerous states have called for teachers who have said—in some cases, on social media—that Kirk’s death was justified to face suspension or termination. (Numerous teachers and leaders of teacher organizations have condemned the killing, and called for more civility in political discourse.)
On Thursday, McMahon said some teachers’ and professors’ comments on Kirk’s murder were “horrific,” but she didn’t call for penalizing them.
“We have to teach how to disagree, hold onto your beliefs and your principles, be willing to listen because you may not always be right,” she said. “Be willing to say and admit, ‘you know what, I think you’re right and I was wrong.’”
During a 40-minute onstage conversation with Katie Jenner, Indiana’s state education chief, McMahon also reiterated her push to reduce the federal government’s role in shaping K-12 education.
She urged governors in all 50 states to join the new federal tax credit program for private school scholarships.
And she lamented the downward trend of academic performance among America’s K-12 students.
“We have really sunk fast,” McMahon said. “We’ve recognized it. Shame on us if we don’t grab the reins of this and make it work the way it needs to be worked.”
