U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon stopped in Central Oregon Monday, visiting a college, a high school and an elementary school, as part of an education tour across all 50 states.
“It’s not every day you find yourself coordinating a school visit alongside the Secret Service,” Superintendent Joel Hoff said in a press release from the Crook County School District.
“We were honored to welcome Secretary McMahon into our schools and valued the opportunity for thoughtful conversation about the work happening in our classrooms. It was a great opportunity to build bridges and showcase the many opportunities available to Crook County students.”
During her stop at Crook County High School in Prineville, district officials said McMahon saw a few of the career technical education programs offered to students. These programs provide students with experience in different careers.
Briana Van Roekel, the district’s director of school improvement, said McMahon visited a health occupations class, where students demonstrated CPR. From there, they visited the construction program and the student store, where business and marketing students sell hats and t-shirts to their classmates — in a store built by construction students.
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon visits the student store at Crook County High School on Monday, April 20, 2026. McMahon's visit to central Oregon schools was a part of her 50-state tour to learn more about education across the country.
Courtesy of Crook County School District
“We just care very deeply that our students graduate with opportunities and that they feel ready to enter the workforce,” Van Roekel said.
“We want to match their experience with high-demand jobs right out of high school.”
McMahon also talked to students about Advanced Placement and dual-credit courses offered in the district — ways that Crook County students can earn college credit before graduation.
“Central Oregon has strong examples of how workforce pathways in K-12 and postsecondary education are critical to developing our nation’s skilled workforce,” McMahon said in a statement.
With her “Returning Education to the States Tour”, McMahon is learning more about educational experiences around the country, with plans to “compile a toolkit of best practices to distribute to states”.
Since taking over in January 2025, the Trump administration has taken steps to dismantle the federal education agency through mass layoffs and program shutdowns. In February, the labor and education departments took steps to “empower parents and states, promote innovation, and deliver process improvements in pursuit of better outcomes for students”. At the same time, the department has confronted some states and education institutions over programs and policies that support racial and gender diversity. The Education Department has opened civil rights investigations around the country and in Oregon, filing claims of gender and racial discrimination.
McMahon’s plan for her cross-country tour is to highlight student-centered programs. The Trump administration’s broader plan is to cut federal spending on schools, while shutting down the education department and moving education decisions to the state and local level.
“We’re bringing the conversation back to where it matters most, to our classrooms, to our communities, and to our local leaders,” McMahon said in a video announcing her tour.
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, center, poses with Crook County students and staff on Monday, Apr. 20, 2026, in Prineville, Ore. McMahon visited career technical education programs, as well as reading classes, during her visit to three schools and Central Oregon Community College.
Courtesy of Crook County School District
In Oregon, most decision-making lies at the local level. That sense of local control seems to align with McMahon’s view of education.
“This is about restoring local control, expanding choices for families, and building a future where every student can succeed,” McMahon said in the video.
While in Central Oregon, McMahon toured aviation facilities and heard about hands-on training there, too, according to a department press release.
“Central Oregon Community College’s aviation program and Crook County High’s health occupations class provide valuable insights into how responsive, hands‑on programs can meet regional workforce needs,” McMahon said in a statement Monday. “By gathering best practices from institutions like this, we can help replicate successful training models and ensure students are prepared for high‑demand careers.”
While in many ways the Trump administration has reduced federal school spending, education officials have looked to support workforce training programs.
Officials for Central Oregon Community College directed inquiries about the visit to the education secretary’s office.
McMahon also visited Crooked River Elementary School to see reading instruction in practice.
“Crooked River Elementary, we’re really proud of our improving test scores there,” Van Roekel said, crediting the district’s reading curriculum focused on phonics, vocabulary and comprehension.
“The principal there had a great opportunity to speak with the Secretary about what that looked like for kids and be in classrooms with teachers and students interacting.”
Van Roekel said focusing the secretary’s visit on CTE and reading mirrored the state’s focus on boosting students’ career education opportunities and improving literacy. McMahon heard from the district superintendent as well as principals, students, and teachers during her visit.
“My hope was that she would walk away seeing that in a smaller, rural community in our state, that kids are offered ample opportunities to be successful in whatever they choose to do after high school,” Van Roekel said.
