National School Choice Week, 2026
This Presidential Proclamation designates January 25 through January 31, 2026, as National School Choice Week, asserting the principle that parents, not bureaucrats, have the right to determine their children's education.
The document outlines the administration's efforts to expand school choice, citing the signing of the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' to create a nationwide education tax credit program accessible to taxpayers supporting scholarship organizations and expanding 529 account use for K-12 education.
Furthermore, it details executive actions supporting state scholarship programs, directing the Secretary of Education to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education, and committing to replacing "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" agendas with merit-based instruction.
Arguments For
Affirming the fundamental right of American parents to choose the educational path that best suits their children's needs and values.
Implementing concrete financial mechanisms, such as a nationwide tax credit program and expanded 529 account usage, to make education more affordable for all families.
Taking executive action to redirect federal education funding toward state-led scholarship programs and moving towards the potential closure of the Department of Education, returning policy control to states.
Replacing initiatives deemed as "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" agendas with a merit-based system and eliminating federal funding for discriminatory or anti-American instructional practices in schools.
Arguments Against
Centralizing educational policy decisions away from local and state governance towards individual parental choice may lead to disparities in educational quality across different socioeconomic areas.
The establishment of new tax credit programs and the proposed closure of the Department of Education could create significant, unpredictable shifts in established educational funding streams and administrative responsibilities.
Eliminating federal oversight and restructuring education funding formulas might undermine national standards for equity and access, potentially disadvantaging students in less affluent districts.
Restructuring educational philosophy away from DEI initiatives could face significant legal and social challenges regarding civil rights protections and inclusive learning environments.
Presidential Actions
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
For 250 glorious years, our Nation has been sustained by a simple yet powerful truth: The American people — not bureaucrats, politicians, or left-wing activists — have the God-given right to secure their own destiny. This National School Choice Week, we reaffirm this sacred principle, and we renew our commitment to empowering every American parent with the freedom to forge their family’s — and our Nation’s — future.
Tragically, for decades, disastrous Federal education policy led to record-low reading and math scores and out-of-control Government spending. America’s Golden Age begins in the classroom. For that reason, I have made it a top priority to expand educational freedom and once again put children and parents first.
My Administration is fighting every day to ensure that universal school choice is recognized as a right for every family. No student should ever be trapped in a failing school, and parents deserve more choices, not fewer. Guided by this vision, we are working to guarantee that every child — regardless of where they live — has access to a world-class education and a chance to achieve the American Dream.
Last July, I proudly signed into law the historic One Big Beautiful Bill, which for the first time in American history, creates a nationwide tax credit program to make education more affordable for families. Any taxpayer can reduce what they owe the Government by contributing to a scholarship-granting organization and American families can use these scholarships to select the education that best fits their needs and values.
The One Big Beautiful Bill also makes education more affordable by giving every American newborn a Trump Account, which makes it easier for families to use 529 accounts for elementary and high school, not just college.
I also signed an Executive Order last year directing the Department of Education to issue guidance on how States can use Federal funding formulas to support their K-12 scholarship programs and directing the Secretary of Education to prioritize school choice programs in the Department’s grant programs. I have also ordered the Secretary of Education to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education, which will ultimately save billions of dollars and allow States to determine their own education policy.
To further defend the American parent, my Administration is bringing the sinister “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” agenda to a screeching halt and replacing it with a system based on the fundamental principle of merit. We are proudly eliminating Federal funding for schools that permit discriminatory treatment and anti-American indoctrination. We are bringing common sense back to our classrooms and once again teaching our children to love their country and honor our history.
As my Administration continues to fight for American families, I also commend every State leading the school choice movement by enacting universal K-12 school choice programs in their communities. I look forward to working with other States and leaders in the Congress to provide universal school choice for every American family.
Our glorious American future depends on the next generation’s ability to learn, lead, and innovate. I will always be a champion for the right of every parent to be the steward of their children’s education, and together, we will never waver in putting our parents first, our children first, and America first.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 25 through January 31, 2026, as National School Choice Week.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
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The document begins with the standard website header identifying the page as Presidential Actions, including navigation elements for searching and filtering different types of presidential communications like Executive Orders and Proclamations.
The text then establishes the context with the declaration: "BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" followed by "A PROCLAMATION." This signifies a formal public announcement made by the President with the force of executive declaration.
The first paragraph asserts that the American people, not government officials, possess the fundamental right to direct their destiny, linking this idea to National School Choice Week.
This frames the action as a reaffirmation of a core national principle.
Subsequent paragraphs criticize past federal education policies for resulting in low test scores and high spending.
The document states that expanding educational freedom and prioritizing children and parents is a top goal of the current administration.
It details specific actions taken, including signing the "One Big Beautiful Bill" to create a nationwide tax credit for scholarship-granting organizations and allowing families to use 529 accounts for K-12 education.
An Executive Order directed the Department of Education to support state K-12 scholarship programs via federal funding formulas.
This section also mentions the intent to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education to save money and return policy determination to the states.
Furthermore, the administration commits to ending "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" agendas in favor of merit-based systems and eliminating federal funding for schools engaging in discriminatory treatment or "anti-American indoctrination."
The proclamation commends states currently practicing universal K-12 school choice and expresses a desire to work with Congress for national universal school choice implementation.
The concluding section affirms the President's commitment to parental oversight of education for the sake of the nation's future innovation.
The operative decree officially proclaims January 25 through January 31, 2026, as National School Choice Week.
The proclamation concludes with the date of signing—the twenty-eighth day of January, 2026—and the signature of Donald J. Trump.