Former President Donald Trump recently signed two executive orders focused on education. The first aims to withhold federal funds from K-12 schools teaching critical race theory (CRT), while the second promotes school choice initiatives.

The CRT-focused order, titled "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling," asserts that some schools indoctrinate students with radical ideologies while limiting parental oversight. It argues that this creates an environment where students are pressured to accept these ideologies without critical thinking, sometimes being labeled as either victims or oppressors based on characteristics like skin color.

President Donald Trump with Melania Trump (Jacob Safar/@yaakovsafar)

This order mandates that non-compliant K-12 schools will forfeit federal funding, referencing Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs.

The second order, "Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families," cites the National Assessment of Educational Progress Report Card, which revealed that a significant percentage of 8th graders are not proficient in reading and math. This order argues that such widespread educational deficiency negatively impacts national competitiveness and harms families and communities. It points to states that have implemented universal K-12 scholarship programs, empowering families to select the best educational settings for their children.

The Department of Education building (Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)

This order directs the Secretary of Education to provide guidance to states on utilizing federal funds for K-12 school choice programs. It also instructs the Secretaries of Labor and Education to propose plans leveraging grant programs to support educational choice.

Corey DeAngelis, a senior fellow at the American Culture Project and executive director of the Educational Freedom Institute, praised Trump's actions, emphasizing the importance of parental control over children's education.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (Reuters/Mike Segar)

Conversely, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, expressed concerns about the school choice order, viewing it as an attack on public schools and a scheme to divert resources from classrooms.