American politics rarely treats K–12 education as a national priority. Students cannot vote, and education policy often produces long-term results rather than immediate headlines. As a result, Washington has spent decades protecting systems rather than improving outcomes. President Donald Trump took a different approach. In his first year back in office, he fundamentally redirected American education by shifting power away from bureaucracies and placing it where it belongs: with families.

Central to that shift is a nationwide federal tax credit designed to expand school choice for low- and middle-income families. Under the policy, individuals and corporations receive tax credits for donating to Scholarship Granting Organizations, which then provide scholarships for students to attend private or charter schools that better meet their needs.

Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program serves more than 120,000 students annually, and multiple studies show that scholarship program participants graduate from high school and attend college at higher rates than their public school peers. Trump’s reform scales that success nationally — without diverting a single dollar from public school budgets, since scholarships are funded entirely through private donations.

For families trapped in failing schools based solely on ZIP code, this reform is even more impactful. Trump’s policy does not require students to leave public schools. It simply ensures that families have alternatives when assigned schools are unsafe, underperforming, or unable to deliver basic services.

The administration also modernized 529 education savings accounts to reflect how students actually learn. Previously mainly limited to college tuition, these accounts can now be used for tutoring, textbooks, test preparation, homeschool materials, online programs, and specialized educational services. This flexibility allows parents to respond immediately when a child falls behind, rather than navigating months of district approvals and administrative delays.

The impact is especially significant for the 7.3 million students receiving special education services. Families routinely pay hundreds of dollars per session for speech therapy, occupational therapy, or assistive technology — often with minimal insurance coverage and long public school waitlists. Allowing 529 funds to cover these costs removes financial barriers that have prevented children from accessing essential support.

Trump’s reforms also acknowledge a reality federal education policy has long ignored: four-year college is not the only path to success. Vocational and technical programs — welding, HVAC repair, cybersecurity, licensed nursing assistance — are now eligible 529 expenses. These programs typically cost a fraction of what traditional degrees do and lead directly into high-demand careers. Aligning education funding with workforce needs reflects economic reality rather than outdated prestige hierarchies.

The urgency of these reforms becomes clear when examining major public school systems. Minneapolis Public Schools now face a federal civil rights lawsuit over race-based employment practices that prioritized ideology over merit. Chicago’s inspector general uncovered $23.6 million in misused spending on luxury travel, while fewer than half of students read at grade level. New York spends more than $39,000 per student, yet nearly half cannot meet basic reading benchmarks. These failures are not the result of underfunding, but reflect a system insulated from accountability.

School choice introduces accountability. Charter schools consistently provide more instructional time, clearer expectations, and stronger academic cultures. Research shows students in choice programs are more likely to stay engaged in school and less likely to encounter the criminal justice system. When families can leave, districts must improve — not because Washington orders them to, but because competition demands it.

Trump’s education agenda rests on a simple principle: parents understand their children better than distant bureaucracies designed to preserve themselves. For decades, Washington set the rules, and districts competed for federal dollars. Trump reversed that structure. He put resources directly in families’ hands and forced education systems to earn their trust.

In 12 months, President Trump has redirected the trajectory of American K–12 education. He expanded opportunity, challenged institutional failure, and restored parental authority. At a moment when educational decline threatens economic strength and civic stability, those reforms matter — and the country is stronger from them.