In a decisive move, former President Trump’s administration mandated a series of executive actions directed at refurbishing the education system of the United States, targeting both higher education and K-12 schools. The initiatives criticized college and university accreditors, entities accused by the White House of exploiting their position by enforcing discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-focused measures. The administration also advocated for new disciplinary regulations for K-12 institutions with the intention of basing school discipline standards on objective behavior rather than on DEI principles. Amidst these measures, it became increasingly evident how the Trump administration intended to mold America’s educational institutions according to conservative ideologies.
Among these actions, one specifically dealt with the accreditation procedure corners higher education institutions are typically backed into. Its purpose was twofold: to guard the quality of a program and to qualify colleges for federal financial aid. Trump saw this process as a silent yet powerful tool to combat perceived ideological impositions that are rampant in higher education. In deterring the so-called ‘ideological overreach’, there seemed to be an opportunity to foster intellectual diversity on campuses.
This executive action instructs the education secretary to restructure the accreditation process and accredit new organizations to inspire competitive improvements. Interestingly, accreditation was touted as the ‘secret weapon’ by Trump on his campaign trail, a metaphor for his bold strategy to enhance higher education’s quality and broaden the intellectual spectrum within universities.
While vigorously pushing back against the ideological conformity in higher education, the administration also anchored on the accountability of institutions by requiring stringent disclosure of foreign funding. An executive order cautioned universities of possible federal grant withdrawal if they failed to fully and promptly disclose overseas funding. This move was seen by many as a ploy to increase transparency and safeguard America’s academic interests from foreign interference.
The White House staff expressed concerns about the non-compliance of certain universities during a briefing announcement of the order. Pointing at reputed universities such as Harvard as regular law violators, the administration stress-tested the enforcement efficiency of a federal law that mandates schools to disclose foreign gifts or contracts valued at $250,000 and above. Rather than dictating specific thresholds or new regulations, the order intended to insist that universities should inform the American populace about foreign funding, reinforcing the ethos of accountability and transparency.
A nod to K-12 education, another executive action issued by Trump’s administration, urged for federally-guided discipline reforms in schools. The directive hints at rescinding previous policies introduced by Joe Biden and Barack Obama, which, unfortunately, aimed to balance racial disparities in school disciplinary actions, such as suspensions and expulsions. Leaning towards a more objective approach, the new directive advocated against ‘racially preferential discipline practices,’ a curious move that we suspect is based on partisan viewpoints rather than empirical evidence.
Additional executive actions unveiled last Wednesday were structured to bolster ‘high-quality education’ at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Again, striving to create an environment where the racial biases that crept into Biden and Obama’s policies are scrubbed out, these actions aimed for an unbiased approach toward ensuring robust education in historically marginalized institutions.
Other proposals include strengthening workforce training initiatives, particularly focusing on creating successful apprenticeships in high-demand trade vocations. This was another clear shift away from the policies of the Biden administration, indicative of Trump’s administration’s resolve to prepare a workforce that is robust and ready to meet the demands of the evolving market.
There also was a move to establish a White House task force on the teaching of artificial intelligence (AI) in schools. The priority was to advance research on AI’s use in our education system. Evidently, the framework falls in line with Trump’s futuristic educational agenda, again emphasizing a departure from the Biden administration’s approach.