Trump Order Would Expand School Choice Programs, Private School Vouchers
Education Department Directed to Prioritize School Choice Programs
The Education Department is being told to use discretionary money to prioritize school choice programs and give states new guidance on how they can use federal money to support K-12 voucher programs.
New Guidance for States on Federal Funding for Voucher Programs
The executive order, which President Trump plans to sign on Wednesday, would direct the Education Department to provide guidance to states on how they can use federal money to support K-12 voucher programs. This could free up some pockets of federal money to be used on school choice, but it is not clear how far he could move the needle with federal money alone.
Other Agencies Directed to Support School Choice Programs
Other agencies, including the departments of Defense and Health and Human Services and the Bureau of Indian Education, would be directed to help states and families find ways to use existing federal money for school choice programs.
Conservative Groups Celebrate National School Choice Day
The signing of the order comes on the same day that conservative groups are celebrating National School Choice Day. The order cites the National Assessment of Educational Progress finding that 70% of eighth-grade students were not proficient in reading and 72% were not proficient in math.
Trump’s Campaign Promise to Expand School Choice
Trump campaigned on a promise to expand school choice, long a key part of the Republican education agenda. He promised to create “massive funding preferences” for states that adopt universal school choice — a policy that lets almost all families use taxpayer-funded education money to attend private schools, homeschooling or other options beyond local public schools.
Arizona Becomes First State to Adopt Universal School Choice
Arizona became the first state to adopt universal school choice in 2022 and several Republican-states have followed. Opponents say the policy is designed to gut public education.
DeVos’ Efforts to Expand School Choice
During his first term, Trump also tried to expand school choice and he made Betsy DeVos, a prominent school choice advocate, his Education secretary. DeVos worked with governors to expand state policies but failed to get Congress to pass legislation that would have provided tax breaks for donations made to scholarships for private schools or other education options.
New Education Secretary Nominee Supports School Choice
Trump has nominated billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to serve as his next Education chief. McMahon, whose Senate confirmation hearing has not been scheduled yet, has called for an expansion of school choice policies.
Conclusion
The Trump administration’s order to expand school choice programs and private school vouchers is a significant step towards fulfilling Trump’s campaign promise to expand school choice. While the impact of the order is not yet clear, it is likely to be met with opposition from those who believe that public education should be the primary focus of education policy.
FAQs
Q: What is the purpose of the Trump administration’s order?
A: The order is intended to expand school choice programs and private school vouchers by directing government agencies to repurpose federal dollars.
Q: How will the order affect public education?
A: The order is likely to divert funding away from public schools and towards private schools and other education options.
Q: What is the current state of school choice policies in the United States?
A: School choice policies are generally the purview of state governments, and several Republican-states have adopted universal school choice policies.
