Fact Sheets

# Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Empowers Parents, States, and Communities to Improve Education Outcomes

The White House
March 20, 2025

RETURNING EDUCATION TO PARENTS AND COMMUNITIES: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order returning power over education to families instead of bureaucracies.

- The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Education to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.
- The Order also directs that programs or activities receiving any remaining Department of Education funds will not advance DEI or gender ideology.

DISMANTLING BUREAUCRACY AND EMPOWERING FAMILIES: Federal government control of education has failed students, parents, and teachers.

- Since its relatively recent inception in 1979, the Department of Education, which does not directly educate students, has spent over $3 trillion without improving student achievement as measured by standardized National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores.
  - Federal taxpayers spent around $200 billion in additional education funding during COVID-19, which, given the substantial learning loss that resulted, typifies the ineffectiveness of the current federally driven model.
- Mathematics and reading scores are down in public schools, despite per-pupil spending having increased by more than 245% since the 1970s, indicating that more spending does not mean better education.
  - 13-year-olds’ mathematics scores are the lowest they have been in decades.
  - 13-year-olds’ reading scores are the lowest since testing began over 30 years ago.
  - Low-performing students are falling further behind.
  - In 2023, 13 Baltimore, Maryland, high schools had zero students who tested proficient in mathematics.
- The Department of Education burdens schools with regulations and paperwork.
  - Its “Dear Colleague” letters have forced schools to redirect resources toward complying with ideological initiatives, which diverts staff time and attention away from schools’ primary role of teaching.
  - Biden’s Department of Education added rules that imposed nearly $3.9 billion in costs and 4,239,530 paperwork hours.
- Taxpayers will no longer be burdened with tens of billions of dollars wasted on progressive social experiments and obsolete programs.
  - Under the Biden Administration, the Department of Education wasted more than $1 billion in grants focused on entrenching radical ideologies in education.
  - Biden’s Department of Education rewrote Title IX rules to expand the definition of “sex” discrimination to include “gender identity.”
  - The Trump Administration recently canceled $226 million in grants under the Comprehensive Centers Program that forced radical agendas onto states and systems, including race-based discrimination and gender identity ideology.

FULFILLING PROMISES TO PARENTS AND STUDENTS: President Trump has outlined a bold vision for America’s schools and returning education back to the states.

- During his campaign, President Trump said “I will close the Department of Education and move education back to the states where it belongs.”
- While speaking on parental rights in education, President Trump spoke of a dramatic rethinking of schools: “I want every parent in America to be empowered to send their child to public, private, charter, or faith-based school of their choice. The time for universal school choice has come. As we return education to the states, I will use every power I have to give parents this right.”
- Since returning to office, President Trump has already signed an Executive Order to expand educational freedom and opportunity for families, recognizing our government-assigned education system has failed millions of parents, students, and teachers.

## Related

- #### Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities

  Presidential Actions, Executive Orders
  March 20, 2025

- #### Advocates, Lawmakers, Parents Applaud President Trump’s Bold Action on Education

  Articles
  March 20, 2025

- #### Presidential Message on American Education Week

  Briefings & Statements
  November 17, 2025

- #### Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Expands Educational Opportunities for American Families

  Fact Sheets
  January 30, 2025

- #### Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Reinstates Commonsense School Discipline Policies

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