The prospect that President-elect Donald Trump will upend the nation’s education system is causing teacher unions and Democrats to collapse. If Trump fulfills his promises, it will lead to the dissolution of the Department of Education (ED). He would also advance school choice initiatives in all 50 states.
Hannah Cox, political commentator and president of Athens Media, released a video denouncing the indigent quality of education in America and highlighting how it has done a disservice to students.
“Nothing amuses me more than the collective excitement of the left over this policy proposal, namely that Trump is considering dismantling the Department of Education, which has been an agenda item for conservatives and libertarians since I was born,” Cox explained in her video.
She also noted that the education system is plagued by financial inefficiency and ideological control.
“Tell me why Americans are getting dumber every year. Tell me why IQ drops. Tell me why we are becoming more illiterate,” she said, pointing to federal programs like No Child Left Behind and Common Core that have contributed to the decline.
“Don’t let anyone tell you for a second that the reason schools are doing worse or that we are getting worse outcomes is because they have cut funding to schools. This is one of the most brain-dead things I can do.” Remember, someone can argue about this.
The government’s monopoly on education applies to life-sustaining measures.
The only question is whether Trump’s presence will galvanize these Southern Republican lawmakers who sold out to teachers’ unions this year. pic.twitter.com/mJIQJhrbbb
— Hannah Cox (@HannahDCox) November 26, 2024
Several studies support Cox’s claims about the deteriorating quality of education in America. Northwestern University published a study in which researchers found a worrying decline in cognitive outcomes in areas such as verbal reasoning, matrix thinking and mathematical skills between 2006 and 2018.
Cox disputed the notion that education quality is dwindling due to a lack of funding, pointing out that the United States spends on average about $15,000 per student each year. However, the results do not reflect the investment.
“That’s twice the average cost of private schools in the Southeast. It’s crazy… Obviously this money isn’t going into the classroom. No, it’s being sucked up by bureaucrats. It gets sucked up by the administrators. It will be sucked up by nepotism and pork.”
Trump’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education has worked Support by Republican state officials who see it as an opportunity to strengthen local control. Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced the formation of a Trump Education Advisory Committee, saying, “We’ve already been at the forefront of the most aggressive, conservative education agenda. “We want to make sure we can implement substantial changes as quickly as possible,” he said.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) echoed that sentiment. “We know our children. We know the needs here much better than the bureaucracy in Washington, DC.”
In fact, Tennessee state lawmakers are preparing for a massive push for educational freedom.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the state’s Republican lawmakers introduced the Education Freedom Act of 2025 in early November. This is a proposal that would provide 20,000 vouchers worth $7,075 to families seeking alternatives to public schools.
Of course it is initiative has sparked a fierce debate between those who believe parents should be able to decide how and where their children are educated and those who see the government as the best arbiter of those decisions.
House Majority Leader William Lamberth welcomed the bill, saying it “leaves no stone unturned when it comes to providing the very best educational pathway to prepare the next generation for success.”
Lamberth also argued that the proposed legislation “gives parents – not the government – the power to make decisions about the special needs and diverse interests of their children.”
This is a proposal that Governor Lee also supports. “Every family should have the opportunity to choose the best path for their child…This is an opportunity to challenge, transform and innovate an education system that has become stale, bloated and bureaucratic,” he said Fox News.
The school choice movement is poised to advance school choice in several states through a variety of programs, including education savings accounts aimed at giving parents more control over where and how their children are educated. “You can use it for teaching in private schools. You can use it for home schooling. You can use it for a mix of online school and virtual learning. You can use it for tutors. “You can transfer it and eventually use it for higher education classes,” Cox noted in her video.
Nevertheless, it will not be uncomplicated to implement measures for educational freedom. There are many teachers union-funded Democrats and Republicans who have been willing to sell out our children’s future in the past and who have worked to defend taxpayer-funded positions for adults in our school system rather than funding our children’s education to give priority. They will continue to do so unless voters finally hold them accountable.
