Former President Donald Trump may have delivered an unthinkable shock, becoming the first former commander in chief since 1892 to skip a term. But his defeat by Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris left many education advocates wondering what another Trump administration, with its anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and talk of eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, might mean for the students of the country – especially when performance is still four years behind. after the pandemic.
“We cannot end this decade with students, especially low-income students, performing worse than when they entered the decade,” said Kevin Huffman, CEO of Accelerate, a nonprofit that funds academic recovery efforts. “My biggest fear is that people will use the Department of Education as a battering ram for other issues, rather than as a force to address academic outcomes for children.”
The Republican candidate, who labeled this the ‘golden age of America’, performed better in battleground states such as Georgia and Florida than in 2020. As expected, the Republicans have flipped the Senate and will have a majority of at least 52 seats, with another few races to go. Control of the House of Representatives remains undecided.
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Observers expect Trump to immediately nullify the Biden administration’s Title IX rule, which extends anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ students.
Those who campaigned for Trump and agreed with his promises to end “woke” education in schools celebrated his comeback.
“American parents voted for their children’s future,” Tiffany Justice, co-founder of the conservative advocacy group Moms for Liberty, posted on X. Her name is already being thrown around as a possible education secretary. She told The 74 that she would be “honored to serve the next President of the United States of America.”
Most of the clues about Trump’s early priorities come from the conservative Heritage Foundation Mandate for leadershipor Project 2025. In addition to eliminating Title I funding for low-income students and Head Start for preschoolers from poor families, the plan would remove references to LGBTQ people across federal policies.
But even if Washington ends up with a trifecta of the Republican Party and federal appointees hand-picked by Heritage, the president-elect may not be able to fulfill some of his bolder promises to dismantle the Education Department and deport millions of illegal immigrants .
“Some of this rhetoric will be tempered with reality once the administration changes,” said Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union. “This is a president we are very used to. I understand that people are nervous; they are very concerned. But when push comes to shove, there is also the reality of governing.”
Eliminating the Department of Education, for example, would require 60 votes in the Senate and would also likely be unpopular in the House of Representatives even though Republicans still hold power, said David Cleary, a former Republican Senate education staffer who now works for a left-wing government. a leaning lobbying firm.
“The votes wouldn’t come out,” he said.
Michael Petrilli, president of the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute, added that “draconian cuts” would also be difficult to implement. Therefore, Trump is expected to achieve some of his conservative agenda through executive orders.
“Let’s assume there is no grand awakening to the problems facing America and people remain in their partisan foxholes,” Cleary said. “Trump will have to take a page out [President Joe Biden’s] playbook and do a lot through executive actions and regulatory plans.”
That would include halting enforcement of Biden’s Title IX rule — which, due to lawsuits from Republican-led governors, currently only applies to 24 states. Officials would likely restart the process of reinstating the 2020 regulations, completed under former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, which narrowed the definition of sexual assault and expanded due process rights for suspects.
One LGBTQ advocacy group called Trump’s victory “an imminent threat.”
Title IX “Milestone” goes into effect for students in less than half the country
“Today, many in our community feel a deep sense of loss and anxiety about the future,” Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, executive director of GLSEN, said in a statement, pointing to Heritage’s Project 2025 as the blueprint for how Trump would reverse the policy. allowing trans students to play on sports teams or use restrooms that match their gender identity. “With these changes, our young people may face increased discrimination, reduced access to safe spaces and reduced legal recognition.”
Trump, a convicted felon and at 78 the oldest candidate ever elected president, is also expected to push for private school choice, perhaps along the lines of the $5,000 tax credit program approved by a committee in September. the House of Representatives was approved. But despite the Republican Party’s enthusiasm for vouchers and education savings accounts, which allow parents to use public funds for private school education and homeschooling, some advocates would like to see more support for the charter sector.
Petrilli, a self-described “never Trumper,” said he is concerned about a return to “the political momentum” of Trump’s first term, which did not benefit charter schools.
“Reform-oriented Democrats were sidelined or silenced,” he said. “Given that there are many children in blue states like California, New York and Illinois who are in desperate need of high-quality educational opportunities, this would be a devastating development.”
But Rodrigues sees some bright spots in Republicans’ focus on parental rights and school choice. “These things can be positive if not taken to extremes,” she said.
Cassidy, the GOP’s new education leader, will focus on reading issues
She is encouraged by the prospect of Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy becoming chairman of the Senate Education Committee, where he has already emphasized the importance of improving literacy outcomes.
While the National Parents Union has had close interaction with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and the White House, she said leaders have had ongoing “deep conversations” with those on both sides of the aisle.
“Progress will be made for children in all circumstances, regardless of what happens in the House of Representatives and changes in the Senate,” she said. “I think the depth of our relationships is not limited to one particular party.”
