The Trump administration is making significant strides in education reform as students across the country return to school. With a focus on school choice and parental rights the administration is reshaping the education landscape in ways that have sparked both praise and controversy.
At a recent Back to School event in the Rose Garden, President Donald Trump and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon highlighted the administration’s efforts to dismantle the Education Department and promote school choice initiatives. The event, held on August 24, 2026, marked the beginning of a new school year and the implementation of several key education policies.
Expanding School Choice and Parental Rights
The administration’s push for school choice is at the forefront of its education agenda. The Working Families Tax Cuts Act introduced a federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, allowing taxpayers to receive a credit of up to $1,700 for contributions to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). These nonprofits provide scholarships for education-related services at private, public, or religious schools.
Secretary McMahon emphasized the administration’s commitment to putting parents back in the driver’s seat where they rightfully belong. The administration has also directed the Department of Justice to ensure that no school district has more power over a child than their own parents. Parental rights advocate Tiffany Justice praised the administration for prioritizing choice in education, stating that every parent has the fundamental right to direct their children’s education.
Returning Education to the States
One of the administration’s key goals is to return education responsibilities to the states. Secretary McMahon has been working to dismantle the federal bureaucracy and return authority to state and local communities. The administration has approved waivers that free tens of millions of dollars from red tape, directing them straight to classrooms and students.
The administration has also awarded grants to advance literacy, expand access to credentialed school psychologists, emphasize science-of-reading approaches, integrate AI in education, and demand real academic results over ideology. These efforts aim to restore power to local communities and families, emphasizing that education is already a local-level issue in the U.S.
Addressing Gender Issues and Curriculum Changes
President Trump highlighted his administration’s efforts to change curriculum and address gender issues in schools. He signed an executive order to ban critical race theory and transgender ideology from public schools, emphasizing the importance of biological reality in sports and private spaces. The administration has launched Title IX investigations into schools that allowed males in female sports and intimate facilities, enforcing fairness for female athletes and privacy for young women.
The administration has also cracked down on schools that transition students behind parents’ backs and rescinded unlawful Title IX guidance that punished districts for failing to use preferred pronouns. These measures aim to restore parental rights under federal law and ensure that schools are free from ideology, waste, and federal overreach.
As students return to class this fall, they do so under an administration that has delivered historic results in record time. The Trump administration’s education reforms are reshaping the landscape, empowering parents, and promoting school choice in ways that are both innovative and controversial.
