Former President Donald Trump won the presidency early Wednesday morning, portending an expected return to the education policies he championed during his first term along with those he espoused on the campaign trail, including expanded school choice and reined-in Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students.
After losing as an incumbent to President Joe Biden four years ago, Trump is now set for another four years in the Oval Office beginning in January 2025. His defeat over Vice President Kamala Harris is likely to usher in changes in education policies after four years of a Democratic agenda.
Notably, Trump has repeatedly called for abolishing the U.S. Department of Education, labeling it federal overreach. “I say it all the time, I’m dying to get back to do this. We will ultimately eliminate the federal Department of Education,” he told a September campaign rally in Wisconsin, according to CNN.
Congressional approval would be needed to eliminate the department, but Trump could reflect his priorities for change immediately through the federal budget proposal he submits early in 2025. And if Trump comes to his second term with a majority in both houses of Congress — possible since the Senate has already flipped Republican and votes are still being counted for House seats — he'll have an easier time getting his agenda through Congress.
It's likely under a second Trump presidency that school choice will expand. Trump has called for universal school choice, including options allowing families to use public funds for private schooling for their children.
The interpretation of the Title IX ban on sex discrimination in federally funded education programs remains one of the more divisive issues between Republicans and Democrats. After years of seesawing on the statute's regulatory reach, Trump is now likely to overturn the Biden administration's recent changes, including a 2024 rule that expanded protections for LGBTQI+ students and staff.
Trump has promised to undo the Biden administration’s Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students on Day 1 of his presidency. “It’ll be terminated,” he said of the new Title IX rule on a conservative Philadelphia radio talk show in May.
And Trump has pledged to crack down on schools that he believes are promoting "critical race theory," transgender protections and “other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content" by cutting off their federal funding.
Trump's 2024 campaign platform also called for “favorable treatment” for states and school districts that eliminate K-12 teacher tenure, implement merit pay and allow parents to elect principals rather than hiring them.
Other changes potentially on the horizon include an expansion of the child tax credit and strengthening of project-based learning and career training programs.
