Improving Education and Protecting Parents’ Rights

Joe Biden’s Education Department is more focused on social justice indoctrination than teaching students. President Donald J. Trump protected the rights of parents and ensured children have every opportunity to receive the best education possible.

The Biden administration abandoned its responsibility to parents and students by allowing teachers’ unions to install policies that delayed school reopening post-COVID. [1]

As a result of Biden’s prolonged school closures, fourth-grade mathematics scores dropped significantly in 43 states, including a decline in 23 of 26 urban districts.[1] Even worse, eighth-grade mathematics scores sank in every single state last year.[2] Biden’s school shutdowns more negatively affected female students, who underperformed male students in both fourth and eighth grades.[4]

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 35% of fourth graders and 26% of eighth graders are proficient in mathematics, as of 2022.[5]

Under Joe Biden, scores in reading have fallen by the largest margin in more than 30 years.[6] Enrollment at four-year universities dropped 6% in 2022, while community college enrollment plummeted by 16%.

The Biden administration’s policy extending school closures worsened the mental health crisis among young people. Tragically, CDC data shows emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts spiked among girls ages 12 to 17 in 2021, an increase of 51% from 2019.[7] In 2021, nearly 1 in 5 high school students had seriously considered suicide.[8]

As of December 2022, nearly a third of America’s parents feel that public schools have gone too far in promoting a woke liberal agenda.[9]

Even though 70% of parents oppose schools teaching elementary children about sexual orientation and gender identity,[10] Joe Biden ordered the U.S. Department of Education to adopt policies to “promote LGBTQ students and educators and support the safety, well-being, and rights of LGBTQI+ students.”[11]

While test scores plummet, Joe Biden’s Department of Education has focused on “equity” over education.[12] Ignoring the learning crisis he has created, Joe Biden’s education plan emphasizes “defeating the National Rifle Association.”[13]

President Trump empowered students and parents and held schools and universities accountable.

President Trump made permanent a commitment of $255 million in annual funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and he increased funding for the Federal Pell Grant program by signing the FUTURE Act.[14]

In 2020, President Trump created the 1776 Commission, ensuring that every American child learns that they live in the greatest, most exceptional Nation in the history of the world.[15]

President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expanding school choice, allowing parents to use up to $10,000 from a 529 education savings account to cover K-12 tuition costs at the public, private, or religious school of their choice.[16]

The Trump administration prohibited the teaching of Critical Race Theory across agencies of the federal government.[17]

President Trump also called on Congress to pass the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act to expand education options for 1 million students of all economic backgrounds.[18]

President Trump issued updated guidance making clear that the First Amendment right to the Free Exercise of Religion does not end at the door of a public school.[19]

President Trump signed into law the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, which provides over 13 million students with high-quality vocational education and extends more than $1.3 billion each year to states for critical workforce development programs.[20]

Additionally, President Trump signed the INSPIRE Act which encouraged NASA to have more women and girls participate in STEM and seek careers in aerospace and allocated no less than $200 million each year in grants to prioritize women and minorities in STEM and computer science education.[21]

The Trump administration also restored state and local control of education by faithfully implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act.[22]

President Trump signed an executive order that ensures public universities protect First Amendment rights or lose funding,[23] addresses student debt by requiring colleges to share a portion of the financial risk,[24] and increases transparency by requiring universities to disclose information about the value of potential educational programs.[25]

The Trump White House issued a rule strengthening Title IX protections for survivors of sexual misconduct in schools, and that—for the first time in history—codifies that sexual harassment is prohibited under Title IX.[26]

President Trump signed legislation that included more than $100 million for scholarships, research, and centers of excellence at HBCU land-grant institutions.[27]

In 2018, President Trump fully forgave $322 million in disaster loans to four HBCUs, so they could fully focus on educating their students.[28]

President Trump’s Plan to Save American Education and Give Power Back to Parents

President Trump will cut federal funding for any school or program pushing Critical Race Theory or gender ideology on our children. His administration will open Civil Rights investigations into any school district that has engaged in race-based discrimination.[29]

President Trump will veto the sinister effort to weaponize civics education, keep men out of women’s sports, and create a credentialing body to certify teachers who embrace patriotic values.[30]

President Trump will reward states and school districts that abolish teacher tenure for grades K-12 and adopt Merit Pay, cut the number of school administrators, adopt a Parental Bill of Rights, and implement the direct election of school principals by the parents.[31]

On day one, President Trump will reverse Joe Biden’s cruel policies on “gender-affirming care” and will sign an executive order instructing every federal agency to cease all programs that promote the concept of sex and gender transition, at any age.[32]

The Trump administration will ask Congress to permanently stop federal taxpayer dollars from being spent to promote or pay for these procedures.

President Trump will declare any hospital or healthcare provider that participates in the chemical or physical mutilation of minor youth will no longer meet federal health and safety standards for Medicaid and Medicare.[33]