President Donald Trump marked the back-to-school season with a Rose Garden event on Monday, promoting his administration's school choice agenda and pledging to put parents "back in charge" of their children's education. Speaking alongside Education Secretary Linda McMahon, students, parents, and educators, Trump outlined a series of initiatives he said would expand educational options and shift control away from Washington.
"We're putting the parents back in charge," Trump said. "They're the ones that love our children. They're the ones that should be in charge."
The event came as Trump rolled out the Education Freedom Tax Credit, a provision of the "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" that he signed on July 4, 2025. The tax credit, set to begin in 2027, will offer taxpayers a credit of up to $1,700 for eligible donations to scholarship-granting organizations. These scholarships can be used for tuition, books, and other educational costs at public, private, or religious schools. The White House estimates that nearly 52 million students could be eligible, a figure echoed by McMahon, who said the credit covers "over 50 million eligible children."
"Children belong to their parents, not the federal government," McMahon said, calling the initiative "the largest national expansion of education freedom in history."
Trump also highlighted changes to 529 education savings plans, noting the annual withdrawal limit for K-12 expenses — doubled to $20,000 — and extended their use to private, religious, and homeschool education. "For the first time ever, families can also have their 529 accounts to support homeschool education," he said.
Beyond the tax credit and savings plans, the administration announced that six states have received "Returning Education to the States" waivers, with 25 more states granted EdFlex authority to reduce federal requirements. McMahon touted these efforts as part of what she described as a "hard reset" in American education.
Trump also took aim at what he characterized as "far left extremism" in classrooms, citing "extreme ideologies" like critical race theory and "transgender insanity" being forced on children. He highlighted efforts to prevent men from competing in women's sports and said every public school is "now on notice" about telling children they are in the wrong body. He also announced "patriotic education" mobile museums as part of the country's 250th birthday celebrations.
Mixed reception and state-level friction
The event drew attention to the ongoing political debates around education. Trump argued that only 30% of K-12 students in the U.S. are proficient in reading and math, insisting schools were failing under the last administration. He also defended his criticism of critical race theory and other initiatives, saying he would end those in the new school year.
The tax credit program requires the states to be opted in. According to the New York Post, 30 states have already signed on. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul has expressed interest but has not formally opted in. Her spokesperson said the governor "awaits information from the federal government on the program and will thoroughly review the details of the policy."
Parents such as Caleb Griffith, a North Carolina father of five, including two with special needs, joined the White House event to support the initiative. Griffith was among several who described how school choice could help their families.
In Utah, the state's school choice program, Utah Fits All, has not implemented after a judge in 2025 it ruled unconstitutional. But the state attorney general's office has argued the program is constitutional and has filed with the state supreme court, the Deseret News reported.
Trump also promoted his "Trump Accounts" investment program, and the expansion of 529 accounts to support homeschool education.
While the event was promotional, some of the more controversial statements Trump made on vaccines drew pushback. Trump suggested parents space out the vaccination schedule. His comments were disputed by public health experts, with Sen. Bill Cassidy and Dr. Mandy Cohen pushing back, with Dr. Cohen saying "vaccines do not cause autism," reported the Deseret News. That coverage also included a statement from the president's own administration, but it also reported that education policy remains contested in a number of states and acknowledged comments from health officials.
Back to school: the administration's broader policy agenda
Besides the tax credit, Trump also touted his administration's work in "removing the far-left extremism from the classroom," and spoke at the student event. He also announced that six waivers had been given had to give states more control over education decisions, freeing up more than $100 billion in federal funds.
Trump also highlighted his executive order from the signing to begin to begin the federal Department of Education's dismantling. The president said the department's elimination would give states and local leaders more power.
In closing, Trump invited the children present to see the construction of the White House helipad, a light-hearted end to a policy-heavy announcement.
The Deseret News described the initiatives as "controversial," while Fox News has called the event a promotion of school choice. The Lokmat Times called the push "historic," and the New York Post described Trump as "ripping" public schools and touting a better way.
As the back-to-school season begins, the administration has now yet to finalize rules for some of the central, and the response from states like New York and Utah illustrate the varying landscape. Whether the changes, including the school tax credit, work as intended will be determined by the American legal system and parental choices.