Trump Administration Highlights Education Department Rollback, School Choice

President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Monday promoted efforts to dismantle the Education Department and expand school choice as students returned to classrooms across the country.

Trump, McMahon Promote Department Overhaul

Trump and McMahon hosted a “Back to School” event in the White House Rose Garden as public school students in Washington, D.C., and other major school systems began the academic year.

The administration presented its education agenda as a shift of authority from Washington to states, schools and families. McMahon has called dismantling the Education Department her “final mission” after Trump directed her to take steps to dissolve the agency within the law.

Since McMahon’s confirmation, the Trump Education Department has partnered with other federal agencies to manage some of its responsibilities and has cut its workforce by nearly half.

McMahon said the administration was working to strengthen parental control over education. “At his direction, we are working hand in hand with the Department of Justice to ensure no school district ever has more power over a child than their own parents,” she said.

She also said the administration was committed to putting parents “back in the driver’s seats where they rightfully belong” and defending parental rights.

School Choice Gains Federal Backing

The administration also highlighted school choice provisions included in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which are set to provide a charitable donation incentive beginning in 2027 for individuals and businesses that fund scholarships for K-12 education.

The scholarships can cover expenses related to public and private education. The Trump Education Department has spent more than a year urging governors to participate in the program, according to the administration.

The department also has issued more than two dozen unrestricted waivers to states, allowing them to receive millions of dollars in federal aid while reducing some requirements attached to the funding.

Tiffany Justice, a parental rights advocate, praised the administration’s approach. “President Trump has always been crystal clear: every parent has the fundamental right to direct their children’s education,” she said in a statement to ABC News.

Justice said the administration was “expanding real school choice so families, not bureaucrats, decide what’s best for their kids.”

Supporters argue the Trump Education Department school choice policy gives families more options, including private schools, charter schools, homeschooling and microschools. Colleen Hroncich, an education policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom, previously told ABC News there has been an “uptick” in families choosing alternatives to traditional public education.

Critics Warn Of Public School Impact

The administration argues school choice can help families facing high education costs and struggling schools. Critics, however, say directing public resources toward private education could weaken traditional public schools.

Education experts also note that state and local agencies already provide about 90% of public school funding nationwide, underscoring the largely local nature of U.S. education.

Trump used the event to highlight other education policies, including executive orders targeting critical race theory and what he called “transgender ideology” in public schools. He also cited a policy barring transgender women and girls from competing in women’s sports.

Trump praised First Lady Melania Trump’s Fostering the Future initiative, which focuses on young people aging out of the foster care system.

The Trump Education Department agenda now enters a new school year with its effort to reduce the federal government’s role advancing alongside its push to expand alternatives to traditional public schools.

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