Trump Moves to Establish 'Patriotic Education' in Schools

In executive orders signed Wednesday, President Trump mandated changes for American schools that include replacing what he calls radical ideologies with a curriculum of "patriotic education." One of them calls for cutting federal funding for schools that teach certain topics related to race, sex, gender, or politics, ABC News reports. It's the first time the federal government has tried to exert such control over curriculum, one expert said. Another directs agencies to use funding to expand school choice through voucher programs. "Too many children do not thrive in their assigned, government-run K-12 school," the order says, per the New York Times.

• Teaching: This order gives the secretary of education 90 days to come up with a strategy to end "indoctrination" in K-12 schools, subject to Trump's approval. There is no education secretary at the moment; confirmation hearings have not been scheduled for the nominee, Linda McMahon, per NPR. The order says it "prohibits federal funding of the indoctrination of children which includes radical gender ideology and critical race theory in the classroom," per the Hill. It's not clear what criteria would be used by the Department of Education to identify schools teaching critical race theory. Trump has said American history classes should be rooted in "patriotic education." The order, which does not say "critical race theory," says without citing evidence that teachers have been "demanding acquiescence" to concepts of "white privilege" or "unconscious bias." That has promoted racism, it says, per Reuters.
• Response: "Whether the federal government can influence curriculum in this way is a completely open question," said Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. "If they were actually able to compel school districts to alter their curriculum, that would be the first time the federal government had done that. Ever." Such restrictions imposed at the state level around the country have led to lawsuits.

• School choice: This order directs the secretaries of education and defense to decide how discretionary grant programs can promote school choice, a goal the president calls "education freedom." Education Savings Accounts let families to divert per-student public school funding to instead pay expenses involving private schools, micro-schools, or homeschooling. Agencies are to give guidance on how funds can go toward "educational alternatives, including private and faith-based options," per ABC.
• Response: Opponents argue that such efforts damage public schools while propping up schools that don't have to meet state standards for student performance. "Instead of stealing taxpayer money to fund private schools, we should focus on public schools," said Rebecca Pringle, president of the National Education Association. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, called the plan "likely illegal."

(More President Trump stories.)