Opinion: Trump’s plans for public schools should scare parents

Former President Donald Trump is using public education as a weapon in his campaign for the White House, continuing to fight against DEI programs and even threatening to shut down the Department of Education.
He’s not alone.
The Republican Party has consistently attacked public schools and teachers unions while promoting vouchers and other initiatives that drain resources from classrooms. The idea of shuttering the Department of Education has been a GOP rallying cry for decades.
I recently watched an interview with Trump on “Fox & Friends” during which he claimed, “We’re going to take the Department of Education, close it, I’m going to close it.”
Trump’s vow reflects a broader agenda, like the one described in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, aimed at reducing federal oversight in education and limiting government spending on essential services.
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The Department of Education was founded in 1979 during President Jimmy Carter’s administration to help improve educational access and increase federal funding for schools.
Republicans criticized its creation, claiming it was an overreach of the federal government’s role and an expansion of bureaucracy.
Although efforts to dissolve the department have been unsuccessful, the idea of eliminating it keeps alive the small-government rhetoric used by the GOP during election season.
Republicans argue that the federal presence in education stifles creativity, inflates spending and undermines local governance.
But the federal government provides education funding that includes student loans, special education grants and Title I dollars for schools that serve low-income students.
Shutting down the department could potentially take away billions of dollars in federal money that school districts rely on.
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Since its inception, the department has enforced civil rights laws in education, ensuring that students with disabilities, minorities and other marginalized groups receive equal treatment and opportunities.
Eliminating that oversight would remove federal protections for these groups and lead to more disparities in our nation’s public schools.
As Americans, we must recognize the danger of allowing education to become a casualty of politicalrhetoric. And we must continue to fight for equal access to education, not weaponize it.
Marla Bautista is a military fellow columnist at USA TODAY Opinion.