What Parents Need to Know About President Trump’s Executive Orders and Schools

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Last Update: March 26, 2025

President Trump has signed several executive orders aimed at reshaping federal policies, eliminating DEI initiatives, restoring biological reality and enforcing merit-based practices. These orders have significant implications for K-12 schools, higher education, and federal education grants. Below are key areas every parent should know about these sweeping changes.

1. Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism

President Trump’s executive orders seek to restore “biological truth” in federal education policies. Within 30 days, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the Secretary of Education are tasked with revising definitions of sex in federal policies and programs.

The aim is to remove references to genders beyond male and female from federal forms, grants, and initiatives. This should include reversing policies implemented under the previous administration, such as Title IX regulations that expand the definition of sex to include gender identity. This step is necessary to ensure clarity and fairness in educational environments, strengthen protections for women’s sports and all students’ privacy rights. A supermajority of parents agree, according to recent polling by Parents Defending Education.

2. Rescinding Previous Administration’s Executive Orders

A second executive order also rescinds several executive orders from the previous administration that focused on anti-merit, DEI policies. 

Federal agencies are instructed to eliminate references to DEI and related principles in grantmaking, contracting, and financial assistance procedures within 45 days. 

These changes will streamline processes, reduce costs, and affirm merit-based principles. Parents should pay close attention to how these rescissions impact local schools and communities and any pending Office for Civil Rights complaints filed by parents or students.

3. Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families

President Trump’s executive order prioritizes education choice by encouraging grant funding and policy recommendations that help families select the best schools for their children. 

Depending on what guidance is issued to states (within 60 days), what grant opportunities are identified (within 90 days) and what policies are recommended by the Department of Education, Department of Interior, and the Department of Defense, more funding will likely be available for school choice programs and scholarships, increasing access to private, charter, or alternative education options. 

Military families and Native American (BIE) students will likely see more options to attend the school of their choice.

4. Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism

With his executive order, President Trump reinforces previous efforts (EO 13899) to address anti-Semitism in education and government policies. Within 60 days agencies must review complaints related to anti-Semitism, especially in higher education, and suggest actions for non-citizen students or teachers involved in violations.

Schools and universities must ensure they are compliant with anti-discrimination policies through this executive order. Parents can expect schools to increase efforts to address anti-Semitism, including reviewing complaints and policies regarding discrimination.

5. Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling

President Trump aims to ensure federal education funds are used in compliance with laws that protect parental rights and prohibit certain types of curriculum. Within 90 days, a strategy will be submitted that aims to eliminate funding for schools that promote gender ideology or critical race theory-based teaching and protect parental rights through the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Schools receiving federal funds must comply with this order or risk losing funding. The order reinstates the “1776 Commission,” which promotes a patriotic approach to U.S. history. Parents should see changes in curriculum, teacher training, and school policies that have previously been developed through the lens of critical race theory and gender ideology.

6. Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity

President Trump’s executive orders also call for the Attorney General and Secretary of Education to, within 120 days, issue guidance ensuring that public schools and other state and local educational authorities comply with Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, the Supreme Court ruling that declared race-based university admissions illegal. The guidance will require educational agencies receiving federal funding to align their policies to uphold merit-based standards. This includes school districts, charter schools, county offices of education, or any authority who manages public schools.

The elimination of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs is a central focus. Institutions receiving federal funding—including K-12 schools and universities—will be instructed to discontinue discriminatory DEI-related initiatives. This marks a shift toward enforcing civil rights laws to guarantee that all students have equal opportunities based on merit, free from racial or identity-based discrimination. 

On January 23, 2025, the Department of Education took its first actions “to eliminate harmful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.”

Parents concerned about discriminatory practices can expect these changes to promote fair and unbiased opportunities for their children in education.

7. Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports

President Trump’s executive order aims to protect opportunities for women and girls in sports by ensuring that only female athletes compete in scholastic women’s sports. The order initiates the process of rescinding the federal funding for schools that allow biological men who self-identify as women to compete in female athletic categories. 

It also directs the Department of Education to enforce Title IX–the longstanding federal civil rights law ensuring equal athletic opportunity for women and girls–as it is written, and emphasizes the need for policies that protect the safety and fairness of female scholastic sports. 

Additionally, the order calls for international efforts to uphold sex-based categories in female sports competitions. 

8. Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities

With this executive order, President Trump directs the Secretary of Education to take all necessary steps within her authority to return education to the states. It also requires the Secretary of Education to ensure that all recipients of federal education dollars are properly following all federal civil rights laws and the Administration’s policy. The executive order begins the process of ending taxpayer support for discriminatory “DEI” programs and institutions that use race and sex as factors in their policies and procedures.

This Executive Order empowers the Department of Education to continue decreasing bureaucratic micromanagement and increase support and protection for students. According to the Executive Order, the Department of Education will continue to meet its statutory obligations and will continue to take action on behalf of students whose civil rights have been violated. It will also ensure eradication of DEI in education, and redirect discretionary funds toward priorities that support meaningful learning.

Conclusion

These executive orders represent a dramatic shift in federal education policies, with far-reaching consequences for students, parents, and educators. These changes signal a restoration of merit-based and academically-focused schools, but the conversation and fight for ideologically free classrooms is far from over. Parents and members of the public should remain engaged and informed as schools and districts implement these federal mandates.

What Questions Could You Ask Your School District?

Many parents have been asking what questions they can ask their school & school district about their plans to adjust policies and procedures in response to President Trump’s Executive Orders.

Find a list of questions to ask your school board about President Trump’s executive orders here.