President Donald Trump is delivering on his promise to put parents back in charge of their children’s education. The White House will host a major school choice roundtable this Friday, bringing together Republican governors and top education advocates to discuss the rapid expansion of school choice across America.
Leading the discussion will be Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, whose state is at the forefront of the school choice revolution. She will be joined by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, both of whom are pushing landmark legislation that would grant families universal school choice access in their states. Republican Governors Glenn Youngkin (VA) and Jeff Landry (LA) will also be in attendance.
According to a senior White House official, Trump is fully committed to making school choice a reality for every family in America. His administration wants to ensure that federal funds follow the child, not the bureaucracy. On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order directing his administration to expand education freedom and ensure that parents—not government—decide what’s best for their kids.
“Parents want and deserve the best education for their children,” Trump stated in his executive order. “But too many children do not thrive in their assigned, government-run K-12 school. It is the policy of my Administration to support parents in choosing and directing the upbringing and education of their children.”
The school choice movement has gained serious momentum, with 12 states already offering universal choice programs, and Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming on the verge of passing historic education reform bills. These programs would provide thousands of dollars per student to families, allowing them to choose the best education options, whether that be private, charter, faith-based, or homeschool.
- Tennessee’s “Education Freedom Act” just passed both legislative chambers and will provide over $7,000 per child for private school tuition.
- Texas’ new school choice bill will make 100,000 students immediately eligible, providing $10,000 for private schools, $11,500 for special needs students, and $2,000 for homeschool families.
- Wyoming’s “Freedom Scholarship Act” will offer $7,000 per year per student to parents who opt out of government-run schools.
The roundtable will feature top school choice champions, including Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and his wife Erika Donalds, as well as education advocates from the Archdiocese of New York, the America First Policy Institute, and the American Legislative Exchange Council.
Trump has long been a champion of school choice, making it a key issue during his first campaign in 2016 when he vowed to give every disadvantaged child in America the opportunity to escape failing government schools. He reaffirmed that commitment in 2024, declaring:
“A child’s fate should be determined by their love of education, by their parents, by so many factors. But it can’t be determined by a ZIP code. And no parent should be forced to send their child to a failing government-run school.”
He added:
“I will support UNIVERSAL SCHOOL CHOICE. We will let federal education dollars follow the child instead of propping up a woke federal bureaucracy.”
With parents across America demanding more control over their children’s education, Trump and Republican leaders are making it clear that school choice is the future. While Democrats fight to keep kids trapped in failing, woke-run schools, the GOP is putting families first and ensuring that every child has a shot at a brighter future.
The school choice revolution is here—and Trump is leading the charge.
