PRESS RELEASE: DFI Celebrates President Trump’s Executive Order on Education Freedom

WASHINGTON—The Defense of Freedom Institute’s (DFI) Co-Founder Jim Blew released the following statement in support of President Trump’s Executive Order expanding school choice:

President Trump is taking bold decisive action to deliver on his promise of education freedom for all. As his Executive Order proclaimed, ‘It is the policy of my Administration to support parents in choosing and directing the upbringing and education of their children.’

For too long, the federal government has prioritized bureaucratic control above parental rights, trapping millions of students in zoned schools that do not prepare them for success. President Trump is rightly redirecting federal resources to support education freedom, allowing parents to choose the best learning environment for their children. 

In concert with the executive order, Senators Bill Cassidy (LA) and Tim Scott (SC) and Representatives Adrian Smith (NE) and Burgess Owens (UT) introduced the Educational Choice for Children Act. This law would encourage the creation of more than two million K-12 scholarships, so families across the country would be empowered to choose the best education for their children.

The data is clear: decades of ever-increasing federal K-12 spending has failed to improve student outcomes. Released independently on the same day as Trump’s EO, the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress scores document the continued plunge in reading and math proficiency since the pandemic, despite the infusion of more than $200 billion in emergency aid to supplement the $900 billion spent by states and local districts.

Rather than doubling down on a failing system, President Trump is providing low- and middle-income families with real options and opportunities. By instructing federal agencies to prioritize school choice, this order puts power back where it belongs—with parents, not politicians.

The Defense of Freedom Institute urges swift implementation of this order. Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, and the President’s action is a crucial step in making that a reality.

DFI has been at the forefront of the fight for education freedom, championing policies that reduce federal overreach and put the interests of students and taxpayers above the interests of school unions and bureaucrats. Founded by former senior officials from the U.S. Department of Education under Secretary Betsy DeVos, Bob Eitel and Jim Blew, DFI is committed to ensuring that all students—regardless of income or background—have access to high-quality educational opportunities. DFI’s Director of Education Freedom and Parental Rights, Virginia Gentles, keeps the DC policymaking community informed about school-choice laws through her Freedom to Learn podcast, updates, and events.