One, an executive order by President Trump, issued shortly after he assumed office, is to dismantle the Department of Education. Outright closing of the department is only possible by an act of Congress. However, the president is moving to accomplish the same objective administratively by closing down offices and major staff elimination. The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld the president's authority to do this.

The second front is advancement of parental choice in education. Give parents the power and authority to educate their children as they choose and send their children to a school that reflects their values.

One need not look further than the so-called Nation's Report Card, the biannual test results administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, to see the problem.

Results from 2024 as follows: Grade four math, 39% at or above National Assessment Educational Progress proficiency standards; grade eight math, 28% at or above proficiency; grade four reading, 31% at or above proficiency; grade eight reading, 30% at or above proficiency.

To those parents who think these are good results, I invite you to continue to allow public schools and teachers unions to control your child's education.

But recent Gallup polling shows most understand there is a problem with our public schools and major change is overdue. Only 29% say they have a "great deal" or "quite a lot"of confidence in our public schools.

The beginning of important change was recently passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill. The new law contains a provision allowing taxpayers to direct funds to support school choice vouchers. The provision allows a dollar-for-dollar tax deduction up to $1,700 that can be sent to a qualifying SGO—Scholarship Granting Organization—that can distribute scholarships to qualifying applicants (households earning no more than 300% of their county's median income) who have been accepted and registered in a private school. There is no limitation to the total funds that can be disbursed through the program and no expiration date for the credit, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Although Trump and congressional Republicans deserve major kudos for getting this passed, it still falls short of the mark.