Guest post by Gregory Lyakhov
While most headlines about Donald Trump focus on immigration, foreign policy, or tax cuts, it’s his education agenda that may have the most lasting impact. At a time when public schools in cities like New York, Baltimore, and Chicago are failing countless students, Trump’s push for school choice could offer a way out to families desperate for better options and a brighter future.
For students, Trump’s school choice agenda provides a crucial escape from a public education system that is failing them.
New York’s education system is in crisis. Across the state, academic achievement is plummeting while political distractions dominate the conversation. In New York City alone, over 41% of students are chronically absent, meaning they miss more than 10% of school days per year. Statewide, nearly 50% of students fail to meet basic proficiency in reading, and math scores are even worse. Despite these staggering numbers, officials remain more focused on social engineering than fixing broken classrooms.
The conditions in many schools are unacceptable. Overcrowded classrooms, crumbling buildings, and a lack of basic academic support services are the norm—not the exception. In some districts, students attend schools with no full-time guidance counselors or updated textbooks, yet political leaders continue to tout cosmetic diversity programs as if they will solve a literacy crisis.
Although nearly 80% of New York City public schools report student poverty rates above 60%, officials remain focused on identity politics.
At the same time, teacher burnout is worsening, especially in the most underserved areas. Educators are expected to act as social workers, disciplinarians, and political messengers, all while standardized test scores and graduation rates continue to decline.
The K-12 education crisis is not unique to New York. In Baltimore, the school system remains one of the lowest-performing in the country, despite massive funding increases. Chronic absenteeism and grade inflation have masked widespread illiteracy. At least 23 schools in Baltimore City reported zero students scoring proficient in math in recent years. Traditional public schools have become overregulated and inflexible, making meaningful innovation impossible.
Charter schools, by contrast, have shown remarkable success. A University of Arkansas study found that charter schools in seven major cities—including New York and Washington, D.C.—were 43% more cost-effective than district-run schools. The same study showed that every dollar spent on a charter school student returned $6.25 in lifetime earnings, compared to just $3.94 for students in traditional schools. Another study by the Urban Institute concluded that charter school students in Washington, D.C. scored significantly higher in both math and reading than their peers in district schools.
The success of charter schools stems from their autonomy. Unlike district-run schools, charters can design their own curricula, hire independently, and quickly respond when students begin falling behind. This flexibility allows them to focus on outcomes rather than compliance.
Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” seeks to empower families, not bureaucrats. The bill includes a federal version of the Educational Choice for Children Act, which now provides up to $5 billion annually in tax credits to donors who fund private scholarships for K–12 students. These scholarships would be distributed through nonprofit organizations to families earning up to 300% of the area median income—a structure designed to help low- and middle-income students access better educational options.
This bill reflects Trump’s longstanding commitment to school choice and builds on prior initiatives. Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Trump signed into law a provision allowing 529 education savings accounts to be used for K–12 tuition—not just college.
Trump also increased funding for charter schools by boosting the Charter Schools Program (CSP) budget by $60 million for Fiscal Year 2025. This raise brought the total CSP funding to $500 million, marking the largest federal investment ever made in charter school initiatives.
President Trump understands what is at stake. His education agenda is rooted in empowering families, elevating students, and removing the government monopoly that has failed generation after generation.
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