Yesterday, President Donald Trump signed three executive orders to direct federal agencies to “end indoctrination” in K-12 education, investigate campus protests, and enact a federal school choice voucher initiative. These orders seek to block federal funding for schools that affirm transgender students’ gender identity, censor the teaching of American history, specifically on race and slavery, and direct the Department of Education to prioritize school choice in discretionary grant programs. In response, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) released the following statement.
Mark Weber, NJPP, Special Analyst for Education Policy:
“This is a gross overreach of federal power and antithetical to the values that New Jersey aspires to uphold. The federal government has always had a limited role in K-12 education. The U.S. Constitution does not explicitly guarantee children the right to attend publicly-funded schools — but the New Jersey Constitution does.
“New Jersey has long been a leader in education and has made significant strides in expanding access to quality education for all students, regardless of their backgrounds. These executive orders would dismantle that progress by undermining protections for LGBTQ+ students, censoring discussions on race and history, and promoting policies that divert resources away from public schools.
“New Jersey aspires to affirm the dignity of every child, no matter their gender; to teach the truth about our state’s and our nation’s history, including the abuses and discrimination visited by many of our ancestors; and to protect the constitutional rights of its students and educators, including the rights to free speech and to peaceably assemble.
“Unlike private schools, New Jersey expects its public school districts to provide an adequate education for every student who comes to its doors, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or immigration status. Public schools are the backbone of our economy and society, and policies that weaken them only deepen inequalities.
“The state’s education system hasn’t always lived up to the state’s ideals; NJPP has documented many of the challenges that remain, starting with a school funding system in need of immediate reform. But the Trump agenda of transphobia, school privatization, and whitewashing history is not compatible with the values that make New Jersey great. We urge all state leaders, educators, parents, and students to reject this administration’s blatantly unconstitutional orders and, instead, embrace an educational policy of inclusion, truth, respect, and academic excellence.”
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