A recent survey conducted by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates, a premier public opinion research firm who worked on President Trump’s campaign, asked voters to rate the public education system in America.

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A shocking 75% rated America’s public schools as fair or poor. Three out of four Americans strongly support school choice. By a nearly 2 to 1 margin, voters believe that parents should be in charge of deciding the best education options for their children, as opposed to local school boards, teachers’ unions, or the government.

A massive 81% of voters want the federal government to “empower parents” and “prioritize students’ needs” to provide greater access and more choices in where their children go to school.

Done in by COVID, DEI, and the Trans Agenda

During COVID, parents’ eyes were opened to the poor quality of American education and the amount of leftist ideological indoctrination. As you remember, students sat at their computers at home, and parents got an earful of the LGBTQ, DEI, and Critical Race Theory blatant propaganda being forced upon their children.

Under the Biden administration, the Department of Education awarded nearly $1 billion in grants to promote their far-left DEI and trans activism agenda.

The teachers’ unions refused to return to school for in-person teaching, forcing many schools to remain closed through the 2022 school year, even though it became increasingly clear that school children were the least likely to get sick from COVID.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers union, falsely stated that unions worked hard to reopen schools in 2020. In fact, her union threatened strikes and successfully lobbied the CDC to keep schools closed.  If Ms. Weingarten worked so hard to open schools, why were public schools closed well into the 2021-2022 school year while non-union private schools reopened much sooner?

Parents were not happy, and if there was a silver lining, it was that parents woke up to the far-left agenda being taught in public schools.

School Choice gains momentum

As a result, the school choice movement is on the move and gaining momentum. Since 2021, 12 states have passed universal school choice offering options for students and their families, including public schools, charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling.

Now, 34 states or territories offer some school choice programs. That means 4 in 10 U.S. students now qualify for a school choice program.

The powerful teachers’ unions’ grip on schools and Democratic lawmakers is finally loosening as parents demand control over their children’s education.

According to the Fabrizio survey, 65% support passage of proposed legislation in Congress known as The Educational Choice for Children’s Act or ECCA, a federal tax credit scholarship bill that would allow K-12 parents to access a school of their choosing for their children.

The Educational Choice for Children’s Act (ECCA)

The bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on January 26, 2023. It has languished in the Committee on Finance Action. It currently has 31 co-sponsors, all Republicans, with no Democrat support.

A related bill was introduced in the House on the same date by Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), where it has been referred to the Committee of Ways and Means and the Committee on Education. It too sits in committee with no action and no Democrat support.

ECCA would allow individuals and corporations to make tax-deductible charitable contributions to non-profit organizations that would provide scholarships to eligible elementary and secondary students so parents could afford alternatives to provide public schools.

With the House and Senate in Republican hands—and 65% of voters saying they support the bill and would be more inclined to vote for lawmakers who support it—ECCA may finally see some action.

Federal, state, and local governments provide $878.2 billion or $17,700 per pupil to fund K-12 public education.

While not a school voucher program, where money earmarked for public education follows the individual student to the school selected by their parents, ECCA is a tax-free scholarship program funded by private corporations and individuals.

It’s a promising start to help parents get their children out of failing schools.

Donald Trump and School Choice

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump reiterated his unwavering support for school choice, calling it the “civil rights issue of our time” and vowing to “ensure all families have access to a great education, no matter their zip code.”

On Wednesday, during National School Choice Week, President Trump signed an extensive executive order directing the education secretary to prioritize school choice programs in the DOE’s discretionary grant programs.

Imagine instead of $1 billion in DOE grants spent on far-left indoctrination, the money is given to parents to choose the best education option for their child.

In addition, President Trump’s executive order instructs the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on how states receiving federal grants for children and families can use the money for private and faith-based education.

The Department of Defense is ordered to submit a plan on how military families can use Pentagon funds to send children to schools of their choosing. The Department of the Interior will determine how families with students attending Bureau of Indian Education schools can use federal funding to attend other schools.

“Every child deserves the best education available, regardless of their zip code,” the executive order reads. “However, for generations, our government-assigned education system has failed millions of parents, students and teachers. This Executive Order begins to rectify that wrong by opening up opportunities for students to attend the school that best fits their needs.”

For too many years, America’s public educational system has acted as a woke indoctrination center instead of a place of learning. President Trump’s Executive Order will also prohibit federal funding for schools promoting gender ideology and critical race theory.

Latest voter polling and the election of President Trump appear to show America’s disgust regarding our poor and failing public educational system.

A strong advocate for school choice and President Trump’s nominee for  Education Secretary, Linda McMahon’s top priority is to return to teaching the fundamentals of reading, history science and math. Her second priority will be implementing universal school choice, a major campaign promise of the president. It’s no wonder the National Educators Association, the country’s most prominent teachers’ union, strongly opposed her nomination.  Let us pray for her upcoming confirmation hearing.

A fresh wind is blowing through the government regarding education, which includes a demand for educational excellence, for parents to decide and choose what’s best for their children, and a repudiation of the left’s indoctrination of America’s children.

All your children shall be taught of the Lord; and great well be your children’s peace. Isaiah 54:13

Let us Pray

Lord, restore public education to your truth and wisdom. Release truth throughout America’s schools and universities and help students rightly discern truth from falsehood. Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us. and establish the work of our hands for us (Psalm 90:16-17).

Lord, open the eyes of the Democrats and break their allegiance to the public teachers’ unions so they can do what is educationally best for the children of America. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7).

Lord, I pray your blessings on local school board meetings. May your will be done. Give parents courage to speak truth and board members wisdom and discernment to act according to Your will. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel and watch over you (Psalm 32:8).

Lord, may every teacher walk in wisdom, grace and truth, and a willingness to follow Your will in the best interest of their students. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6).

Lord, rid the schools of the LGBTQ and DEI ideology. Open doors in every school for the Gospel to be shared with students, teachers and staff. Restore prayer and bible clubs in schools. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long (Psalm 25:5).

Lord, keep our schools safe from violence. Thwart every evil plan to do harm. Render any weapon brought to school useless. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them (Psalm 34:7).

Share your own prayers for the education system in America below.

Belinda Brewster analyzes cultural, political, and world events from a biblical worldview. Belinda’s passion is to equip, support, and encourage parents and grandparents who are courageously battling against the spiritual and cultural forces impacting children and grandchildren. Photo Credit: John Moore/Getty Images.