Defending Parental Rights and Educational Opportunity
Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order expanding educational freedom and opportunity for families. It recognizes that parents, not the government, play a fundamental role in choosing and directing the upbringing and education of their children.
- The Executive Order directs the Department of Education to issue guidance on how States can utilize federal funding formulas to support their K-12 scholarship programs.
- It also instructs the Secretary of Education to prioritize school choice programs in the Department’s discretionary grant programs.
- Furthermore, the Order requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide guidance on how states receiving block grants for children and families can use those funds to support educational alternatives, including private and faith-based options.
- The Secretary of Defense is directed to submit a plan to the President on how military families can utilize Department of Defense funds to send their children to the school of their choice.
- Additionally, the Secretary of the Interior is tasked with submitting a plan on how families with students attending Bureau of Indian Education schools can use federal funds to send their children to the school of their choice.
Empowering Parents and Students Through School Choice
Every child deserves the best education available, regardless of their zip code. However, for generations, our government-assigned education system has failed millions of parents, students, and teachers. This Executive Order begins to rectify that wrong by opening up opportunities for students to attend the school that best fits their needs.
- According to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 70% of 8th graders were below proficient in reading and 72% were below proficient in math. 40% of 4th graders did not even meet the basic reading levels.
- Standardized test scores have essentially been flat for over 30 years, despite hundreds of billions of dollars spent on government-run education.
- A dozen states have universal or near universal school choice programs and 33 states have some form of school choice program.
- School choice programs have a strong record of improving students’ academic performance.
- School choice has proven to be cost effective and saves taxpayer dollars.
- Parents report higher levels of school safety for their children who participate in school choice programs.
- Support for school choice is overwhelming, with 70% of Democrats, 73% of Black Americans, and 69% of Hispanic Americans in favor of it.
- President Trump is dedicated to ensuring every child has the opportunity to receive a world-class education.
Fulfilling the Promise to Strengthen Education Through Freedom and Opportunity
President Trump promised to bring school choice to every family in the Nation. Today’s historic executive order is a critical step in delivering on that promise, and builds on the long list of accomplishments from the first Trump Administration, including:
- Calling on Congress to pass the School Choice Now Act and the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act.
- Providing in-person learning options for low-income parents forced to send their children to virtual school during the pandemic.
- Re-authorizing the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program twice.
- Investing nearly $1.5 billion in the development of public charter schools, helping this innovative sector grow to 7,500 charter schools serving more than 3 million students.
- Allowing parents across the nation to withdraw up to $10,000 tax-free per year from 529 education savings plans to cover public, private, or religious K-12 schooling costs, thanks to the President’s historic tax cuts.
Parents can be confident that under his Administration, President Trump will provide every available opportunity for parents to enrich the education of their children through individual choice.
