New grant priorities announced by Department of Education

President Donald Trump has said over and over he wants to eliminate the federal Department of Education.

That bureaucracy hands out money and sets rules, but actually it is local school boards and state agencies that manage much of the decision-making in the education industry.

But the department still exists, and while it still has offices and staff, it is making changes.

Those include a whole new set of priorities for its grant programs.

A report at PJMedia documents how Linda McMahon, Trump’s education secretary, has called for “evidence-based literacy, expanding education choice, and returning education to the states.”

The report noted, “The federal government was never constitutionally supposed to be involved in running education, and its involvement has contributed to the crisis of crashing test scores, woke indoctrination, dysfunctional youth, and much more.”

“Discretionary grants coming from the Department of Education will now be focused on meaningful learning and expanding choice, not divisive ideologies and unproven strategies,” McMahon said.

“It is critical that we immediately address this year’s dismal reading and math scores by getting back to the basics, expanding learning options, and making sure decisions in education are made closest to the child.”

Various changes are possible: “Expansion of charters, innovative school models, K-12 open enrollment, dissemination of information on choice options, implementation of ESAs, home based education, concurrent enrollment programs, career preparation, postsecondary distance education, skills-based education, apprenticeships, work-based learning, accelerated learning and tutoring, etc.,” the report said.

The report noted that the priorities are “a major change from the Biden-Harris administration, which obsessed over implementing woke diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) standards into our school system, worsening an already severe educational crisis. Race-baiting doesn’t teach kids anything useful or help them improve their grades — quite the opposite.”

The department announcement confirmed what many Americans already knew, the problems from the Biden administration, such as:

“Pushing student racial diversity through diversity plans, admissions policies, and technical assistance;

Also, embedding DEI in educational subjects and programs such as civics, STEM, and career and technical education;

And, focusing on diversity amongst educators instead of sound teacher preparation;

Also, promoting social emotional learning; and

Supporting divisive school diversity and social justice policies.”