Trump Signs Executive Orders on School Choice, Funding, and Combating Antisemitism
School Choice and School Funding
- Expanding School Choice:
- Trump's executive order directs the Department of Education to prioritize school choice programs through discretionary grants. This includes using federal funds to support private, religious, and charter schools, as well as homeschooling options.
- The order mandates that the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, issue guidance on how states can use certain grants to encourage families to pursue educational alternatives.
- It also requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Defense to find ways to use federal money to help families with children in Bureau of Indian Education schools and military families, respectively, to enroll elsewhere.
- Funding Cuts for "Indoctrination":
- Another executive order seeks to cut federal funding to K-12 schools that promote what the administration describes as "gender ideology" and "critical race theory." This move is part of a broader effort to end what Trump calls "radical indoctrination" in the nation's classrooms.
- The order instructs the incoming Secretary of Education to provide a strategy to the President within 90 days to end "indoctrination" in K-12 education, although it provides no specific details on how this will be achieved.
Combating Antisemitism
- Executive Order on Antisemitism:
- Trump signed an executive order to combat the rise of antisemitism, particularly focusing on college campuses. This order directs the Department of Justice to take immediate action to investigate and punish antisemitic crimes, including vandalism and intimidation.
- The order also includes measures to deport nonresident aliens who violate U.S. laws during pro-Palestinian protests, specifically targeting those who participated in such activities.
- Additionally, the order aims to protect Jewish students from campus harassment and violence, ensuring that the federal government does not tolerate discrimination and antisemitism.
Impact and Reactions
- Support and Criticism:
- The executive orders on school choice have been met with both support and criticism. Proponents argue that these measures will provide families with more educational options and improve academic performance. Critics, including major teachers' unions, argue that diverting public funds to private schools will disadvantage public education and violate federal laws.
- The antisemitism order has also sparked debate. While some groups support the measures to protect Jewish students, others worry that it could infringe on free speech and academic freedom on college campuses.