The world stands on the brink of a pivotal election. Will Republican candidate Donald Trump, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, reclaim the presidency, or will Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, the current vice president, take the lead? The answer will be revealed on November 5, 2024.
No matter the outcome, the United States is set to undergo substantial shifts across key sectors, including education. The two candidates have sharply contrasting views on the education system: Trump advocates for significant cuts to public education and opposes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, while Harris is a strong supporter of public schools.
Donald Trump vs. Kamala Harris on schooling and the Education Department
According to international media reports, Trump’s education policy centers on school privatization. The Republican Party has criticized public schools while promoting vouchers and other initiatives that divert resources from classrooms. Trump’s agenda reflects a broader aim to reduce federal oversight in education and cut government spending on essential services. He has even proposed eliminating the Department of Education entirely. “I say it all the time; I’m dying to get back to do this. We will ultimately eliminate the federal Department of Education,” he declared at a Wisconsin rally, as reported by CNN. He added that he wants to “drain the government education swamp” and prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to “indoctrinate America’s youth.”
In contrast, Harris has called for increased Title I funding, which provides federal resources for schools serving low-income families. In 2022, she launched the “Generation Fund,” a $50 million initiative aimed at supporting low-income public school students and children born into poverty. At the Democratic National Convention, she firmly stated, “We are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools.”
School choice, allowing families to select schools outside the traditional public system often using public funding for private tuition, is a contentious issue this election. Trump has labeled school choice as “the civil rights issue of our time,” advocating for federal programs to make it universal, including education savings accounts that let parents use government funds for private school tuition or homeschooling. He argues that increased competition will compel public schools to improve or risk losing students to private alternatives. “We want federal education dollars to follow the student, rather than propping up a bloated and radical bureaucracy in Washington, DC,” he said at a recent campaign event. His approach emphasizes deregulation, reduced federal oversight of private schools, and greater parental control.
Harris and the Democratic Party, on the other hand, have been cautious about expanding school choice. While not a central focus of her campaign, Harris advocates for strengthening public schools rather than diverting resources to private institutions. Critics, including her supporters, argue that school choice undermines public education by draining funds from public schools, particularly those in low-income areas, and potentially widening the gap between well-funded private institutions and struggling public schools.
Donald Trump vs. Kamala Harris on LGBTQ+, race and gender studies in schools
One of the most contentious debates in American education revolves around when, and how, students should be introduced to topics such as race, sexuality, gender, and the transgender experience. While many teachers, parents, and students agree that racism should be openly discussed in schools, opinions on LGBTQ+ issues are more divided. Some educators believe these topics are crucial for fostering understanding and inclusivity, while others argue they do not belong in the school curriculum.
Kamala Harris has consistently voiced her opposition to efforts that limit how race and gender are taught in schools. She has labeled proponents of such restrictions as extremists, accusing them of refusing to “acknowledge our nation’s true and full history.” Harris has also been a vocal critic of laws banning books that address LGBTQ+ issues and legislation that restricts teachers from discussing gender identity in the classroom. During her 2023 ‘Fight for Our Freedoms’ campaign, Harris condemned these laws, stating, “It is incumbent on us who believe in the strength of diversity and the importance of unity to build coalitions… including on the issue of what is happening in terms of attacks against trans folks and the LGBTQ community as a whole,” suggest media reports.
Under the Biden-Harris administration, federal protections for LGBTQ+ students were expanded under Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in all university programs and activities. Harris has also opposed state laws that prevent transgender individuals from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity, calling such policies discriminatory.
On the other hand, Donald Trump has stated that his administration would eliminate what he refers to as “critical race theory.” This theory is an intellectual and social movement that provides a framework for legal analysis based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of distinct human subgroups but rather a socially constructed category used to oppress and exploit people of color. According to The Economic Times, if Trump is elected, one of his first actions could be to cut federal funding for schools teaching critical race theory. However, since federal funding to schools is tied to laws enacted by Congress, implementing this change would likely require legislative support, making it a challenging promise to fulfill quickly.
When it comes to teaching about sexuality and gender, Trump appears to adopt a conservative stance. Although he has not specified an age at which students should be taught about these topics, he has pledged to cut federal funding to schools that promote what he describes as “transgender insanity.” During his presidency, he rolled back protections that allowed transgender students to use school bathrooms aligned with their gender identity. At a 2022 campaign rally, he stated that he would “ban men from women’s sports,” explicitly referring to barring transgender women from competing in women’s sports. Additionally, recent media reports indicate that Trump has suggested he would take executive action to ban transgender athletes from participating in sports aligned with their gender identity.