School Choice: The Battle for Parental Rights and Educational Freedom

January 26–February 1, 2025, was School Choice Week in America, an annual event held at the end of January to highlight the need for better educational options for families. And what better way to celebrate than with President Donald Trump signing an executive order in favor of school choice?

Once dismissed as a fringe movement, school choice is no longer a radical idea. It’s here to stay. The momentum has grown, and with this executive order, the battle lines between parents who want real educational options versus teachers unions desperate to maintain control (and money) have never been more apparent.

What Does Trump’s School Choice Order Actually Do?

Let’s be clear, this executive order does not mean that parents nationwide will suddenly gain access to the billions of tax dollars funneled into our bloated public school system so they can enroll their child in any school they choose. (One can dream.) That decision still lies with individual states. States such as California, New York, and Illinois—which have been actively defunding charter schools and blocking school choice legislation—will continue their war against parental rights for now.

But the order does:

• Affirm parental rights. It reiterates (because apparently, this still needs to be said) that parents—not the government—are responsible for the education and upbringing of their children.
• Prioritize school choice initiatives. It directs the U.S. Department of Education to favor charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling programs when awarding federal education grants.
• Support voucher and scholarship programs. The order encourages states with existing school choice programs to expand their voucher and scholarship initiatives by allowing federal funds to be used for these programs. It’s not a federal mandate, nor does it force school choice on any state. But it does give states a green light to pursue real education reform—and denies grant funding to states that actively work against school choice.
• Empower Native American and military families. Perhaps the most exciting provision, and my personal favorite, is the one that will allow federal funds to be used for private school tuition or homeschooling for Native American and military families. These families, who often relocate frequently or live in areas with underperforming public schools, will have the ability to choose the best education for their children. I think military families from both political leanings will rejoice over this one.

The Predictable Meltdown from the Teachers Unions

Of course, no good policy goes unpunished, especially when it threatens the power of the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Our favorite left-leaning educational advocate, Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT, immediately came out swinging, declaring, “This plan is a direct attack on all that parents and families hold dear. It’s a ham-fisted and likely illegal scheme to diminish choice and dent classroom resources to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.” Yes, you read that right, according to Weingarten, giving parents more control over their children’s education is actually an attack on parents. The idea that school choice “diminishes choice” is peak irony, considering public school districts across America have done everything in their power to force kids into failing schools with no alternatives.

Meanwhile, the AFT continues to fight tooth and nail against school choice while pouring millions of dollars into progressive activism, DEI programs, and gender ideology in classrooms. Because clearly, nothing is more pressing in education than ensuring second graders can discuss gender identity instead of, you know, learning to read.

Despite the teachers unions’ efforts to suffocate school choice, the movement is growing stronger than ever. Over the past five years, red states across the country have expanded school choice programs, including Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. Each state has implemented vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, or education savings accounts (ESAs), ensuring that parents—not bureaucrats—decide what’s best for their children.

The Grassroots Organizations

While the teachers unions have billions of dollars and the backing of the Democratic establishment, they’re losing ground, thanks to grassroots school choice organizations that are actually fighting for families. Some of the key players include EdChoice, the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, and the Center for Education Reform

EdChoice (formerly the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice) promotes universal school choice, advocating for vouchers and tax-credit scholarships to ensure every parent has real options. The National School Choice Awareness Foundation helps parents navigate the confusing maze of school choice options and ensures they know what resources are available to them. They also organize School Choice Week. The Center for Education Reform focuses on charter school expansion and educational innovation, challenges outdated education policies, and holds public schools accountable.

The Future of School Choice Is Bright

Despite the meltdowns from the left, school choice is winning. Parents want more control over their children’s education. They want alternatives to failing public schools, and they deserve a system where the money follows the child, not the other way around. Trump’s executive order is a step in the right direction. It doesn’t force school choice on the states from the federal level. Instead, it rolls out the red carpet for those states that want to empower families. So while Randi Weingarten and the NEA clutch their pearls, the rest of us will continue advocating for a future where every child has access to an excellent education, no matter where they live.

Source: https://capitalresearch.org/article/school-choice-the-battle-for-parental-rights-and-educational-freedom/