President-elect Donald Trump has big plans for American education.
When asked what Republicans were thinking, Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Caroline Levitt said:
said Time Magazine: “The American people re-elected President Trump by a wide margin and gave him a mandate to deliver on the promises he made during his campaign. He is sure to do so.”
If Trump fulfills his campaign promises and their equivalents,
Agenda 47 Education PlanIf so, the current Ministry of Education would be completely abolished and most of its current responsibilities would be returned to the states.
In addition to hollowing out the Department of Education, Trump also promised universal school choice. Protecting Prayer in Public Schools. Prioritize reading, writing, and arithmetic, and eliminate left-wing propaganda. Switching from teacher tenure to merit pay. and increased parental authority by the federal government.
In a September 2023 video outlining 10 principles for school improvement, President Trump:
noticed“The United States spends more money on education than any other country in the world, and yet it has the worst results. The United States is at the bottom of every list. is pumping more than $1 trillion a year into public education.'' But in our education system, far from being at the top of the list, we are literally at the bottom of the list. ”
According to According to the Education Data Initiative, K-12 public schools spend about $857.2 billion annually, with the federal government covering at least 13.6% with taxpayer funds. Costs have increased rapidly over the years.
In the 2011-2012 school year, annual spending per student in public K-12 schools nationwide was $10,648. This year, the per-pupil cost of substandard education was $17,280.
Although the United States ranks fourth among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries in spending on primary education, there is still much room for improvement in the quality of education.
Recent estimates from the National Literacy Institute
shown Approximately 40% of students nationwide cannot read at a basic level. National Center for Educational Statistics revealed When compared to education systems in 80 other countries in 2022, the average mathematical literacy score of 15-year-old students in the United States was lower than the average of 25 education systems. NAEP too Found As of 2022, only 26% of public school eighth graders nationwide were proficient in math.
Pew Research Center survey
It was revealed earlier this year 51% of American adults think the K-12 public education system is headed in the wrong direction. Another survey of public school teachers Found 82% of respondents believe the current state of education has worsened over the past five years.
“It can't be any worse.”
“Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political content, as we currently do, schools should help children succeed in the world of work and in life.” We must be completely focused on preparing our nation to be strong and enable them to grow into happy, prosperous and independent peoples,” President Trump said. .
Past and future presidents have said that optimizing American education and schools requires:
- “Respect the right of parents to control their children's education.”
- “Give parents and local school boards the power to hire and reward good principals and teachers and fire poor principals and teachers.”
- “Ensure our classrooms are focused on teaching the knowledge and skills needed to succeed, rather than political indoctrination.”
- “Teach your students to love their country.”
- “We will help bring prayer back to our schools.”
- “Students who cause harm to teachers or other students will be immediately expelled.''
- “Enabling students to access project-based learning experiences within the classroom.”
- “We strive to ensure that all students have access to internships and work experience that can put them on the path to their first job.” and
- “Ensuring that all schools offer excellent employment and career counseling.”
Trump also said his administration would effectively “shut down” the Department of Education, a cabinet-level agency since 1980, and return “all education and educational operations and needs” to the states.
“What we want is [the states] “We're running our kids' education because they're going to do a better job,” Trump said, adding, “You can't do any worse than this.” We spend three times more money per student than any other country. And yet, we are absolutely at the bottom. We are among the worst. So it can't be any worse than that. We're going to end education coming out of Washington, DC. We're going to close it down. There are also people who hate buildings and, in many cases, our children. We're going to send it all back to the states. ”
“I think there will be about one person and a secretary.”
Blaze News contacted the Ministry of Education but did not receive an immediate response.
Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, told Time that “it's entirely possible to shut down the Department of Education, but the Department needs to continue to function.”
The Republican trifecta in Washington, D.C., could lead to Mr. Trump significantly reducing or potentially reducing funding for racist DEI and critical race theory programs.
Virginia Rep. Ben Klain (R) recently told Fox Business that he wants to cut trillions of dollars in government spending, as proposed by Elon Musk, who could become the next head of the Department of Government Efficiency. He said it was possible.
When asked where he could make deep cuts, Klein said:
said“So how billions of dollars remain in Washington to fund the Department of Education and bureaucrats with the simple purpose of interfering with educational choice decisions at the local and state levels? Let's see.''
In October, President Trump
signaled At a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he spoke about what his ideal Education Department would look like if it were to end.
I think it will be about one person plus one secretary. A secretary will have a secretary. There's one person in charge and one secretary, and all that person has to do is say, “Are you teaching English? Are you teaching math? What are you doing? Reading, writing, and arithmetic. And you’re not telling me what’s happening?” Just ask.
“All they're trying to do is make sure the basics are followed,” Trump added.
In some ways, Mr. Trump's proposal is similar to a memorandum submitted by President Ronald Reagan's Secretary of Education Terrell H. Bell in 1981. The memorandum advocated turning the department into a foundation primarily tasked with administering block grants, gathering information, and conducting research.
education weekly
reported At the time, Bell's unrealized proposal suggested that most of the department's activities would eventually be “relocated, terminated, or modified in accordance with the implementation of new administration policies.” For example, the functions of the department's civil rights division could be transferred to the Department of Justice.
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