(NewsNation) — “Save American education” is one of President-elect Donald Trump’s pillars to his approach in reforming the American school system.
What does that look like?
From changing Title IX to eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, Trump’s proposed policies will affect the future of curriculum in public schools.
Trump’s main education policies
In the early stages of the presidential race, Trump laid out 10 principles for his education policy plan.
“Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material, which is what we’re doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world of work,” President Trump said in September 2023 address.
He pledged to eliminate the Department of Education and to return school choice to the states.
He vowed to “restore” parental rights, meaning parents would know what their children are taught in the classroom, be able to openly communicate concerns with teachers and principals, protect children’s privacy, be updated on acts of violence at schol, allow them to inspct professional development materials and be notified before an out-of-school guset speaks in class.
They would also be able to review the budget and spending of the school, have the right to opt out of school healthcare services and be immediately notified if a teacher has “worekd to change their children’s name, pronouns or understanding of his or her gender.”
Some of the proposed policies are already in place; parents can often have meetings with school staff, federal laws protect the privacy of children and schools notify parents through various channels of communication about violence or other concerning events that may occur.
Trump also supports the election of principals by parents and will adjust increase or decrease funding to schools based on their policies.
The future of the Department of Education
Trump has voiced his desire to abolish the Department of Education since his first term in office. Under new proposed policies for his second term, Trump said he would remove “the radicals who have infiltrated the federal Department of Education, and get to Congress reaffirm the president’s ability to remove recalcitrant employees from the job.”
He also promised to cut federal funding for any school or program that pushes “Critical Race Theory, gender ideology or other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content on our children.”
Critical race theory is defined as an academic field focused on the relationships between social conceptions of race and ethnicity, social and political laws and media.
Trump said he would direct the DOE to open civil rights investigations into school districts engaging in “race-based discrimination, including discrimination against Asian Americans.”
What will happen to Title IX?
Keeping men out of women sports has been a pillar to Trump’s and other Republicans’ education policies.
Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational settings that receive federal funding.
Transgender athletes are in jeopardy of being able to play in sports that are in line with their gender identity. For example, a transgender girl who wants to play on a girl’s softball team would be required to play boys’ baseball under Trump’s policies, which violates Title IX under its current directions.
Will student loans be forgiven under Trump?
Student loan forgiveness was not a focus of the Trump campaign, unlike Biden’s promise to cancel student loan repayment during his run for president.
Trump largely has not addressed this topic, but some of his other policies, such as aboloshing the DOE, may impact student loans.
Trump’s policies at a glance
In summary, these are Trump’s main education policies:
- Eliminate the Department of Education
- Cut federal funding for schools that promote critical race theory
- Bar transgender girls from playing in sports designated for boys
- Adjust funding for schools based on their policies
- “Drastically” cut the number of school administrators including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion departments
- Adopt a “Parental Bill of Rights”
- Implement a voting process to elect principals
- Allow parents to choose which public school their children attends
- Create a credentialing body to certify teachers
- Enhance discipline for students engaged in drug involvement
- Support concealed carry of weapons by teachers
- Protect the right to pray in schools
- Reinstate the 1776 Commission, which would adjust the history curriculum in schools
