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** Trump’s Education Smackdown: Shutting Down the Department of Education
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Dear John,

Politicians are pros at promising the moon and delivering a pebble. G.K. Chesterton nailed it: when they’re out of power, they’re wizards with a plan; in power, they’re magicians at making excuses. Most folks have grown so used to this song-and-dance that they don’t bat an eye when campaign trail bravado fizzles into “meh.”

Enter Donald Trump—business titan, reality TV “you’re fired” guy, and a former president who has weathered a political rollercoaster wilder than a WWE cage match. This time, voters are catching on: when Trump says he’ll do something, you’d better buckle up.

Take his March 20, 2025 Executive Order ([link removed]) to axe the federal Department of Education. He didn’t just whisper this idea during his White House hiatus—he shouted it from the rooftops. Yet, plenty figured it’d stay a pipe dream, drowned out by the same old “it’s too hard” excuses from past presidents. Wrong. Trump dropped this move like a body slam from his wrestling cameo days—except it’s no script. It’s real, and it’s sticking.

I’ve been cheering this from the sidelines for months as readers remember my CalMatters take from January ([link removed]) . Democrats, bless their hearts, are clutching pearls like the sky’s falling. But here’s the kicker: if they love their big-government goodies—local jobs, union perks—why ship control off to some D.C. desk jockey thousands of miles away? Local is where it’s at. Always has been.

Sure, the naysayers are buzzing about what happens to Title I, FERPA, special education, civil rights, and student loans. Newsflash: these programs aren’t orphans. Other federal departments—like Health and Human Services or Justice—have handled them before and can again. No need for a bloated Education HQ to play middleman.

And if Congress wants to block-grant those federal dollars? Fine. Let state legislatures divvy it up—through budgets, governors, counties, whatever works. That’s their job, not Uncle Sam’s.

Here’s the real win: no more D.C. scapegoats. For decades, local districts have pointed fingers at Washington when test scores tank or classrooms crumble. “It’s the feds’ fault!” they’d cry. Well, that excuse just got pink-slipped. The Department of Education’s 45-year reign has been a flop—academic outcomes sliding faster than a kid on a Slip ‘N Slide. As has been said countless times, “Why let Caesar run our schools and then wonder why our kids act like Romans?” Time’s up for that experiment.

Education is a local game, plain and simple. Federal meddling is like a nosy neighbor who keeps rearranging your furniture—well-meaning, maybe, but a total pain. Bringing the cash and the reins back to our communities is a no-brainer. Parents, teachers, and school boards know their kids better than any suit in a marble office ever could. They’ve got the boots on the ground; let them call the shots.

The data backs this up. My CalMatters piece flagged how California’s own education mess—bloated bureaucracy, dismal results—mirrors the federal mess. Strip away the D.C. layer, and states like ours can quit playing defense against top-down nonsense. We don’t need open minds about federal overreach; we need open doors to local solutions.

Trump’s order isn’t just a policy shift—it’s a power move. It’s a refutation of the idea that Washington knows best. Education isn’t a one-size-fits-all sweater knitted by bureaucrats; it’s a patchwork quilt, stitched by the folks who live it every day. Congress has some homework ahead to iron out the details, but the message is loud and clear: get the feds out of our classrooms.

So, let’s raise a glass to this shake-up. No more outsourcing our kids’ futures to a swamp that’s more about red tape than red apples on teachers’ desks. Education belongs where the buses roll, the bells ring, and the chalk dust flies—right here at home. D.C. can keep its hands off our chalkboards. We’ve got this.

— By Lance Christensen, Senior Fellow at California Policy Center and President of California Policy Partners


** From Grassroots to Game Changer: Inside the Parents Not Partisans Summit
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This week, more than 150 education reform advocates, parent group leaders and school board members joined forces in Sacramento for our 4th annual Parents Not Partisans Summit — our most impactful event yet.

Just four years ago, the summit began as a gathering of 60 determined grassroots leaders — today, it’s where a growing statewide movement comes together to learn, connect and chart the course for the year ahead.

This year’s summit drew leaders from 32 counties across California — including 40 current school board members — all united by a shared goal: to fix California’s broken education system and ensure that education officials and local schools prioritize real learning over over political agendas, activist-driven curricula, and the failed liberal policies that have robbed students of a quality education for decades.

These are the everyday Californians stepping up to lead — often with no political background, no formal training and no institutional support. They are parents, grandparents, educators and concerned citizens who saw what was happening in their local schools and decided to do something about it.

Parent Union exists to equip and connect these leaders — offering monthly strategy calls, educational toolkits ([link removed]) , training opportunities, and most importantly, a growing network that stretches from Siskiyou to San Diego.

At the summit, attendees heard directly from some of California’s leading voices — including Los Angeles County GOP Chair and keynote speaker Roxanne Hoge — who are working to raise academic standards and end the cycle of low expectations in our public schools.

Congressman Kevin Kiley brought his inside-the-Beltway insight on what major federal shifts in education policy could mean for California families, while State Senator Shannon Grove outlined the path forward for school choice. Assemblymember Bill Essayli joined attorneys Julie Hamill, president of California Justice Center, and Emily Rae, senior counsel at Liberty Justice Center, to brief attendees on the ongoing fight for parental rights in both the legislature and the courts.

Summit panels featured experts like: Michael Malione, a Piedmont City School Board Trustee, on how lowering math expectations is hurting California students; Kelly Schenkoske and Christina Munoz on the union agenda behind community schools; and Pacific Research Institute's Lance Izumi on the state’s reading crisis. Their insights made clear what’s at stake — and what it will take to turn things around.

On Day Two, school board members heard from experienced trustees on how to govern effectively, whether you’re newly elected or returning for another term. Summit participants also joined Senator Shannon Grove at a Capitol press conference in support of SB 64, the School Choice Flex Account Act, sponsored by CPC.

Later that morning, summit attendees had the opportunity to engage in the legislative process firsthand as Sen. Grove presented SB 64 in committee. Although the bill was ultimately — and predictably — blocked by Senate Democrats, the show of support sent a clear message: education reform advocates are paying attention, organizing, and refusing to be sidelined any longer.

This year’s summit showed that the parent and education reform movement in California is more connected, more focused and more effective than ever — and we’re just getting started!

Next year marks the 10th anniversary of California Policy Center’s Parent Union, and we’re excited to celebrate it at the 5th Annual Parents Not Partisans Summit. After the energy and turnout we saw this year, we expect to hit capacity fast — so keep an eye out for our save-the-date announcement this fall.

If you’d like to support California Policy Center’s Parent Union, y ([link removed]) ou can make a contribution here. ([link removed]) For sponsorship or partnership opportunities for CPC’s 2026 Parents Not Partisans Summit, contact Jackson Reese at j (mailto:[email protected]) [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . (mailto:[email protected])

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** Radio Free California #382: California Democrats Discover the Supply Side
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On this week's podcast with CPC president Will Swaim and CPC board member David Bahnsen: Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s new book “Abundance” targets California in a campaign to rebrand Democrats as the party that can build things — L.A. Mayor Karen Bass never got the memo. Bonus: City Journal’s Christina Buttons talks about the short life and brutal death of the boy who thought he was a girl. Listen now. ([link removed])

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ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA POLICY CENTER

The California Policy Center promotes prosperity for all Californians through limited government and individual liberty.

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