Donald Trump is the second President of the United States to serve two non-successive terms., along with Grover Cleveland. Although public education has never been a priority of Trump’s, it might be worth looking at the issues that could become important over the next four years.
Last week, The 74’s Linda Jacobson outlined controversial school issues to watch as Trump begins his second term. Jacobson writes,
“Education experts tend to agree on two things: Donald Trump has an aggressive schools agenda – focused on choice and handing more control over to the states. And with lots of other foreign and domestic priorities vying for his attention, from closing the border to extending tax cuts, K-12 issues may take a back seat.”
…
“While they may not get immediate attention, experts expect a host of other issues, from educating undocumented students to tweaking charter school organizations, to percolate throughout the year.”
“Rights for LGBTQ students – In the early days of his administration, Trump is expected to issue an executive order that could say that sex only ‘means biological sex or that local control should decide when and if to let transgender students have access to sports teams or facilities,’” [said Jackie Wernz, who runs Education Civil Rights Solutions and served as a U.S. Department of Education civil rights attorney during the Obama and the first Trump administration] (Trump issued an order a few days ago limiting gender identification to male or female).
“On January 9, a federal judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky hastened the end of the 2024 policy when he vacated the regulation. Judge Danny Reaves said three provisions pertaining to rights for trans students, including access to bathrooms and locker rooms that match students’ gender identity, ‘taint the entire rule.’”
“While the lawsuit was brought by six-GOP-led states, Wernz has advised districts everywhere to stop implementing the 2024 rule and return to the Trump-era regulation. Beyond that, she said, the picture will vary by state.”
…
“Even though the Biden administration withdrew part two of its Title IX rule pertaining to athletics, the House wasted no time this week in passing legislation that would ban trans students from competing on teams consistent with their gender identity. The bill pass the House last year, but gained no traction while the Senate was under Democratic control.”
“Immigration enforcement – Trump has threatened to initiate mass deportations and end a ban on Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids at schools and other ‘sensitive locations’ where children congregate. [That happened today.] He’s also called for denying citizenship to children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents – a right granted by the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment and one that Trump can’t rescind through executive order.”
…
“Dismantling the [Education] department – …education policy observers doubt the department will be going away anytime soon. The plan would require 60 votes in the Senate, and not all Republicans are on board. Even the conservative American Enterprise Institute’s Rick Hess, who wrote that scrapping the agency would be ‘symbolically important,’ expects ‘the department to still be with us in four years.’”
…
“Trump wants states and districts to have more control over education, and in an interview with Time, listed Indiana and Iowa as places he thinks do a better job than the federal government of running education.”
…
“Curriculum questions – Despite calls to dismantle the department, Trump told Time that the government would still ‘need some people just to make sure’ schools teach English and math.”
“But he’s also hinted at offering the department broad power to advance his priorities, like cutting off federal funding for districts that push ‘critical race theory, transgender insanity and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content onto the lives of our children.’ And his campaign platform called for reinstating the 1776 Commission, an advisory committee charged with promoting ‘patriotic education.’”
…
“Charter schools – While not nearly as controversial as his Title IX changes, outgoing Education Secretary Miguel Cardona’s revisions to the federal Charter School Program proved highly unpopular among Republicans and charter operators.”
“Cardona intended the 2022 rule to encourage more racially diverse schools and increase transparency into charters’ business dealing with for-profit companies. But charter advocates said the regulation creates unnecessary burdens, hurts founders without substantial startup funds and limits student options.”
…
“Private school choice – Republican focus on charter schools has waned in recent years amid the explosive growth of voucher programs and education savings accounts, which parents can spend on private schools or homeschooling.”
“In September, a House committee passed the Educational Choice for Children Act, which would provide tax credits to groups and individuals who donate to a private school choice program. An estimated 2 million students would be able to use the funds for tuition, fees and supplies. The plan would cost the federal government about $5 billion in lost revenue, according to the House Ways and Means committee.”
…
“Child tax credit – One topic already attracting interest is how much of a tax credit to give parents with children 17 and under – a policy that typically generates bipartisan support. The current $2,000 credit was part of the Trump tax cuts in 2017, and renewing the cuts are high on the GOP’s wish list. Any discussion of expansion, however, is likely to touch on some of the issues that led the Senate to reject a bill last year.”
…
“Global competition – One stretch goal for some advocates that could draw both parties together is how to better prepare students for rapidly changing careers that will keep the U.S. globally competitive.”
…
“The 2022 scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the first round of tests after the pandemic, saw sharp declines in fourth and eighth grade, and states have struggled to bring performance back up to pre-COVID levels.”
It’s fair to say that, like most issues in America these days, blue states will have a much different view on how to educate their young people than red states. So, the move away from a national platform for getting America’s kids smarter and stronger in reading, writing, and problem-solving will continue as states and local governments make decisions for their young learners. Til tomorrow. SVB
A Better Path to Learning 
Leave a comment