President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 29 that directs several federal government agencies to redirect funds in support of school choice. The goal, according to the order, is “to improve the education, well-being, and future success of America’s most prized resource, her young citizens.”
The order applies to the US Labor Department and the Education Department and directs them to review their discretionary grant programs “to expand education freedom for America’s families and teachers.”
Within 60 days, the secretary of education is instructed to “issue guidance regarding how States can use Federal formula funds to support K-12 educational choice initiatives.”
Trump also ordered the secretary of defense to submit a plan outlining how Defense Department funds can be used to allow military families to exercise school choice. In addition, he directed the secretary of Health and Human Services to examine block grants to help low-income families cover private or faith-based educational alternatives.
The executive order cites this year’s National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), showing that 70% of eighth graders are below proficiency in reading and 72% below proficiency in math.
School choice advocates praised the executive order.
“Following the historic expansion in our home state — thanks to the North Carolina General Assembly — Congress now has the opportunity to follow suit by supporting the President’s pro-school choice agenda, including passing the Educational Choice for Children Act and expanding parental and family empowerment across America,” said Mike Long, president of the pro-school choice group Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, in a statement. “The time is now for school choice in every state, and we will continue to champion this issue to ensure that all families in North Carolina — especially lower-income families — have access to the schools of their choice.”
“For a generation, our nation’s education system has been held hostage by bureaucrats and schooling unions who care only about preserving their own power, not the needs of American students,” said Tommy Schultz, CEO of the American Federation for Children, in a statement. “The time is now for school choice in every state, and this order is a key step in that direction. We share President Trump’s goal of passing a nationwide tax credit scholarship and returning control of education funding to the states and families. We are eager to work together to ensure that all families, especially lower-income families, in every state, can enjoy the blessing of education freedom.”
North Carolina recently expanded its primary school choice vehicle, the Opportunity Scholarship Program, to all income levels.