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On Tuesday, President Trump 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 three 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. 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.

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.

Author: Press Release

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