The prospect of President-elect Donald Trump upending the nation’s education system has teachers’ unions and Democrats melting down. If Trump fulfills his promises, it will result in the dismantling of the Department of Education (ED). He would also spearhead the move toward school choice in all 50 states.
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Hannah Cox, political commentator and President of Athens Media, published a video in which she savaged the low quality of education in America and highlighted how it has done students a massive disservice.
“Nothing amuses me more than the collective freak out the left is having over this policy proposal, which is that Trump is considering eliminating the Department of Education, which news flash, has been an agenda item for Conservatives and libertarians since I was born,” Cox stated in her video.
She further pointed out how the education system is plagued by financial inefficiencies and ideological control.
“Tell me why Americans are getting dumber every year. Tell me why IQs are falling. Tell me why we’re becoming increasingly illiterate,” she said, pointing to federal programs like No Child Left Behind and Common Core as contributors to the decline.
“Don’t you let them tell you for a second that the reason schools are getting worse or that we’re increasingly having worse results is because they have cut funding to the schools. That is one of the most brain-dead things I can think of for somebody to argue.”
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Several studies support Cox’s claims about the deteriorating quality of education in America. Northwestern University published a study in which researchers found a troubling decline in cognitive scores in areas such as verbal reasoning, matrix reasoning, and mathematical skills between 2006 and 2018.
Cox disputed the notion that educational quality is declining due to a lack of funding, pointing out that the United States spends about $15,000 per student each year on average. Yet, the outcomes do not reflect the investment.
“That is double the rate of the average cost of private schools in the Southeast. It’s insane….Clearly, that money is not making it into the classroom. No, it’s getting sucked up by bureaucrats. It’s getting sucked up by administrators. It’s getting sucked up by cronyism and pork.”
Trump’s plan to dissolve the Education Department has drawn support from Republican state officials, who see it as an opportunity to bolster local control. Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced the formation of a Trump Education Advisory Committee, saying, “We’ve been at the tip of the spear for the most aggressive , conservative education agenda already. What we want to make sure that we’re able to do is implement big changes in the fastest way possible,” he said.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) echoed this sentiment. “We know our children. We know the needs here much better than a bureaucracy in Washington, D.C.”
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Indeed, Tennessee’s state lawmakers are gearing up for a massive push for educational freedom.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Republican state legislators unveiled the Education Freedom Act of 2025 earlier in November. This is a proposal that would grant 20,000 vouchers worth $7,075 to families seeking alternatives to government-run schools.
Naturally, the initiative has sparked a fierce debate between those who believe parents should be empowered to decide how and where their children are educated and those who view the government as the best arbiters of these decisions.
House Majority Leader William Lamberth touted the bill, saying it “leaves no stone unturned when it comes to providing the very best educational path to set the next generation up for success.”
Lamberth also argued that the proposed legislation “empowers parents – not the government – to make decisions about the unique needs and diverse interests of their children.”
This is a proposal that Gov. Lee also favors. “Every family ought to have the opportunity to choose the best path for their kid…This is a way to challenge and change and bring innovation into an education system that’s grown stale and bloated and bureaucratic,” he told Fox News.
The school choice movement is poised to push for school choice in multiple states through a variety of programs, including Educational Savings Accounts, aimed at giving parents more control over where and how their children are educated. “They can use it towards private school tuition. They can use it to homeschool. They can use it towards a blend of online schools and virtual learning. They can use it for tutors. They can roll it over and eventually use it for higher education classes,” Cox noted in her video.
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Nevertheless, pushing educational freedom measures through won’t be easy. There are plenty of Democrats and Republicans funded by teachers’ unions who have historically been willing to sell out our children’s futures and who have worked to defend taxpayer-funded positions for adults in our school system rather than prioritizing funding our kids’ educations. They will continue to do so unless voters finally hold them accountable.