Former President Donald Trump stated on Monday that American public schools are “failing at education” and advocated for his school choice plan, asserting it would place parents in charge of their children's learning.
Speaking at an event focused on school choice, Trump cited proficiency rates in reading and math, noting that only 30 percent of students were proficient. He attributed these figures to the previous administration.
As students prepare to return to school, Trump pledged to reverse policies enacted during the Biden administration, reinstate whole milk as a cafeteria option, and emphasized his school choice program's aim to grant parents greater autonomy over their children's educational paths. "We're putting the parents back in charge. They're the ones that love our children. They're the ones that should be in charge," Trump said in the Rose Garden.
He added, "As we remove the far left extremism from the classroom, we're taking historic action to ensure that every child in America has access to a first-class education."
Trump highlighted his "One Big Beautiful Bill," which established a federal tax credit to expand school choice through scholarship organizations, contingent on state opt-in. Approximately 30 states have adopted this program. Under this initiative, taxpayers can contribute up to $1,700 to a qualified scholarship-granting organization and receive a full tax refund. The scholarship funds can be used for basic educational expenses, including tuition and books, for public, private, or religious schools.
A spokesperson for New York Governor Kathy Hochul indicated that the governor is supportive of the federal tax credit scholarship and its potential benefits for New York students, stating that the governor's office is awaiting further information from the federal government for a thorough review.
During his remarks, Trump also recalled changes made during his presidency, including efforts to remove