With the upcoming election right on our heels, it’s important to have an educated and informed opinion or vote of the candidates based on their policies and issues. One issue that directly affects us students is education! Well, maybe not at the forefront of the campaign trail, it’s an important issue both candidates have divisive opinions over, and the candidate in particular this article is focused on is the Republican candidate, Donald Trump. With his many stances and thoughts on reforms and changes to our education, it’s important to know what he plans and envisions for our country’s education if elected, and why he believes his line of thinking.
The first issue is school choice (school choice is when a parent spends public spending that would’ve gone to public education on different forms of education for their child like charter or private schools), which Trump staunchly supports. Trump has gone on record to call school choice the, “civil rights statement of our time.” Trump’s logic for his support stems from the fact he believes parents’ having alternative options from public schools to send their kids to will only be for the betterment of their kid(s). He asserts that a child would perform better in education if their intellectual needs, values, etcetera, were met by parents who could see them to any kind of school, instead of economic status or other issues deciding where.
Trump wants to purge public education of what he believes to be leftist political indoctrination.
He states he would defund schools that support Critical Race Theory, gender ideology, or any other, and in his view, inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on kids. The 45th president also declared he would cut DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), and would get rid of marxist ideology he believes is being taught in schools. He would also get rid of the radical leftists that he thinks infiltrated our education department. Trump asserted that he would make education more patriotic, by putting forward a credential body that would certify teachers who embrace the Americana ideals and way of life. He would also achieve by reinstating the 1776 commission, which would ensure young Americans learn about our history and principles. The Republican candidate has also said he would protect religious freedom in school and would ban, in his eyes, boys from playing in girls sports.
There are other several issues Trump has concerned himself with one of the many being shutting down the Department of Education and transferring the power back to the states, seeing it as an entity of government overreach. He also is a big advocate for parent choice. Making it where schools have to be completely transparent to parents, and inform them of everything that’s happening if requested. He would implement a Parental Bill of Rights to ensure this happens. Trump has also said he would adopt merit pay, which would reward good teachers. In school, the past president said he would make a push for project based education, believing it to be more beneficial for students.
To hear more about candidate Kamala Harris’ views on education, check another of the Lions Roar Nows recent articles.
