The Education Department gave another agency power to distribute its money. It hasn't gone well.

A controversial push to restructure the Education Department under the Trump administration has faced significant hurdles, raising questions about whether broader plans to overhaul the agency can still gain traction. Early missteps in the process—including internal resistance and procedural delays—have complicated efforts to reshape federal education policy. Critics argue the setbacks could weaken the administration’s ability to advance its more sweeping agenda for the department. The outcome may hinge on whether officials can navigate these challenges while balancing political and bureaucratic realities.

The stumbles of an early Trump administration experiment to carve up the Education Department risks undercutting the president’s more dramatic demolition plan for the agency. The Labor Department ...