The crisis in our classrooms

OPINION:

The latest “Nation’s Report Card” is out, confirming what many parents already knew: student learning is in freefall. The cause of this alarming decline in reading and math scores is no mystery. For four years, the Biden administration reinforced the worst features of our education system: Centralizing authority, restricting choices, and rewarding failure.

Fortunately, that era of decline is now over. In line with his campaign promises, President Trump has already issued bold executive orders to reorient education policy toward local control, parental rights, and academic excellence.

One order, titled Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families, seeks to liberate millions of families from failing schools; another, Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling, aims to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs that divert focus from core academics. And this week’s confirmation of Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education heralds a renewed commitment to accountability for academic outcomes.

This dramatic change could not come soon enough. The politics of education have become increasingly consumed by radical ideologies and social agendas, sidelining reading comprehension, math proficiency, and scientific literacy. The result: Far too many students are better at reciting grievance narratives than demonstrating basic academic proficiency.

As Chair of the Education Subcommittee covering early childhood, elementary, and secondary education, I will work with the Trump administration to restore excellence in our classrooms. That means empowering parents by strengthening their role in education decision-making, expanding school choice so every family can access the best educational opportunities, and ending the ideological indoctrination replacing rigorous math, science, and civics instruction.

My home state of California starkly illustrates the need for a course correction. The state recently adopted an “ethnic studies” high school graduation requirement despite grave bipartisan concerns about bias in the curriculum. A number of districts, including Santa Ana Unified School District, then started teaching the course using materials that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned for overt antisemitism.

With the tax dollars of California citizens being used in this way to spread retrograde prejudices, it is hardly surprising that antisemitic incidents at schools have exploded. Beyond K-12 schools, the illegal encampments and other deeply disturbing incidents on university campuses serve as a reminder that warped instruction in elementary and high schools has lasting consequences. It tends to follow students onto college campuses and beyond, leaving them ill-prepared for college and successful careers.

The overall trend, then, is clear: As many traditional public schools spiral into ideological battles, students are falling further behind in core subjects. Yet it is important to add that this is not true everywhere. There are many outstanding schools of all kinds, with dedicated teachers and administrators, that are defying the odds and getting tremendous results for their students. These success stories provide a starting point for the systemic education reform that America needs.

Charter schools, in particular, are a bright spot. Unlike traditional public schools, to which students get assigned based on their neighborhood, charters are schools of choice that families affirmatively choose to attend. Such schools are publicly funded, but they only receive that funding if they attract families to opt in – and they are held accountable for student learning outcomes. In exchange, charters are generally freed from top-down bureaucratic requirements and can operate with greater flexibility and autonomy, allowing them to innovate in line with their own educational vision.

This model has proven enormously successful. A 2023 Stanford CREDO study found that charter students gain an additional six days of learning in math and 16 days in reading per year compared to their district school peers. These gains are especially significant for historically underserved communities—proof that when parents have the power to choose, outcomes improve. Other school choice initiatives, such as Education Savings Accounts, have shown similarly promising results.

The quality of our schools today is a window into the strength of our nation tomorrow. And lately, that future has become uncertain. However, thanks to the change in leadership offered by the Trump administration, there is hope. The President has already begun working with my Subcommittee and others in Congress on the changes needed for a new era of excellence in American education. And that starts with restoring control to local communities, where families – not Washington bureaucrats – set the priorities for their children’s education.

• Kevin Kiley is the U.S. representative for California’s 3rd congressional district. Prior to being elected to Congress, he served in the California State Assembly from 2016 to 2022.