Donald J. Trump’s appointment of Linda McMahon—the retired wresting professional wrestling executive—to lead the U.S. Department of Education has drawn the ire of some advocacy groups and worries from others who question if she is qualified to lead the agency.
“The position of United States Secretary of Education is a vitally important one, both substantively and symbolically,” said Robert Kim, the executive director of the Education Law Center, an organization that pushes for equitable outcomes for public school children. “The selection of the individual to assume this role demonstrates to both Americans and the world the value our nation places on education and our nearly 50 million public K-12 and 19 million postsecondary students.”
Kim said that “very serious questions” have surfaced about “the qualifications and fitness” of McMahon to lead the Department, which Trump has said that he wants to dismantle once he takes office. Kim urged the U.S. Senate to rigorously investigate McMahon’s background and experience to see if she is suitable for the position. 
“Public education is the cornerstone of American democracy,” Kim said. “We must reject a White House agenda – and any nominee – seeking to eliminate or weaken federal programs that support millions of students and families in every state, territory, and district in our nation. Our children deserve a leader who will strengthen and support their future learning opportunities and has the knowledge and character to earn the respect of our nation and the world.”
Other groups seemed a bit more conciliatory in their reaction to the nomination.
“We look forward to learning more about Linda McMahon, and if she is confirmed we will reach out to her as we did with Betsy DeVos at the beginning of her tenure,” said Randi Weingarten, who leads the powerful American Federation of Teachers, the union that boasts a membership of about 1.8 million members. “We hope Donald Trump means it when he says he wants a focus on project-based instruction, career and technical education and apprenticeships. This will improve education and job options, making schools more relevant and engaging for young people.”
But Weingarten, who has been a fierce critic of Trump, warned that the President-Elect's rhetoric to shut down the Department of Education would eliminate a “federal-funding lifeline that disproportionately goes to children in need, children with disabilities and young adults who are the first in their families to go to college,” she said. “And college has always been the engine to innovation and opportunity in America, to individual growth and improvement, as well as strengthening communities, which is why we fight so hard for young people to be able to attend without pauperizing student debt, and for educators to have the academic freedom and supports they need for our young people to soar.”
Dr. Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education (ACE) praised the McMahon nomination.
“We appreciate Secretary-designate McMahon's willingness to tackle the challenges facing our nation in the area of education and see many opportunities to work with her to advance policies that will benefit all Americans and ensure that students from all walks of life are able to reach their fullest potential,” said Mitchell, who served in the Obama administration. “Higher education and our colleges and universities work hard every day to build America and improve lives. Ensuring college access and affordability, supporting student success, and advancing cutting-edge research that saves lives and protects our national security are just some of the common priorities we look forward to working on in the coming months with Secretary-designate McMahon and her team at the Department of Education."
Like ACE, other higher education advocacy groups offered congratulations to McMahon, who ran twice for a U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut, but lost in 2010 to Richard Blumenthal and in 2012 to Chris Murphy. During Trump’s first term, he tapped McMahon to lead the Small Business Administration, the agency that gives loans and disaster relief to companies and entrepreneurs.
