The University of Georgia
Ph.D. in history, Professor
Head of the Department of History
Tbilisi/Georgia
ts.chikvaidze@ug.edu.ge
Abstract
The article examines the transformation of U.S. educational policy during the administration of Donald Trump, focusing on the political, ideological, and institutional changes that significantly shaped the development of the American education system.
The study aims to identify the principal directions of the reforms implemented by the Trump administration, as well as their foundations and outcomes in both K–12 and higher education.
The article explores several key aspects of this transformation, including the reassessment of the federal government's role in education and the promotion of decentralization; the expansion of authority granted to state and local educational bodies; support for school choice policies; the development of charter schools and voucher programs; and efforts to reduce federal regulations in the education sector.
Particular attention is devoted to the role of Betsy DeVos, who served as the U.S. Secretary of Education during Donald Trump’s first administration (2017–2021) and was one of the central figures in implementing the administration’s educational agenda. DeVos was the principal architect of reforms associated with school choice, decentralization, and the reduction of federal regulation. For many years, she advocated the view that educational quality could be improved by increasing competition among schools and expanding parental choice. In her view, government monopoly in education limited innovation and efficiency.
The article also examines the growing connection between educational policy and broader ideological and cultural debates, including issues related to national identity, the teaching of history, diversity policies, and controversies surrounding Critical Race Theory (CRT). CRT has become one of the most controversial and politicized issues in contemporary educational discourse. Debate over the theory intensified significantly during the final years of Trump’s first administration and continued in the years that followed.
The study evaluates both supporters’ and critics’ perspectives on these reforms. On the one hand, the Trump administration’s policies are presented as efforts to enhance flexibility, competition, and parental freedom of choice within the education system. On the other hand, concerns are raised regarding educational inequality, the politicization of education, and the potential weakening of national educational standards.
The research is based on primary sources, including Trump’s proclamations, official government documents, executive orders, public speeches, and relevant scholarly literature. The article concludes that the transformation of educational policy during the Trump administration extended beyond administrative and managerial reforms. Rather, it reflected a distinct political vision regarding the relationship between the state, society, education, and national identity—a vision that has had a lasting impact on the subsequent development of U.S. educational policy and public debate.
Keywords: Betsy DeVos, Critical Race Theory (CRT), Donald Trump, Educational reform, School choice, U.S. education system.