Comprehensive Guide: Trump vs. Harris on Education Policy

As the 2024 presidential election approaches, education is emerging as a significant issue, with both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump offering vastly different visions for the future of America's education system. Their positions encompass K-12 schooling, higher education, teacher pay, student loans, and federal oversight, with both candidates drawing on their track records in government. Below is a comprehensive comparison of their education policies, focusing on key areas that will shape the nation’s future.

1. Federal Role in Education: To Eliminate or Empower?

Kamala Harris: The Biden-Harris administration has strongly supported the role of the Department of Education (DOE) in shaping education policy, funding schools, and protecting civil rights. Harris has consistently voiced opposition to any attempts to dismantle the DOE, as federal oversight ensures critical funding for low-income schools, special education services, and support programs for marginalized communities. Her administration has expanded federal investments in education and opposed cuts to programs that serve vulnerable populations.

Donald Trump: Trump’s Agenda47 proposes eliminating the Department of Education, which he argues places too much control in federal hands and should be left to states and local communities. Trump's past budget proposals consistently included deep cuts to the DOE, aiming to reduce what he sees as bureaucratic inefficiencies. Trump and other Republicans have advocated for redirecting funds to school choice programs, empowering parents to decide how their children are educated. Trump has supported the idea of distributing the DOE's responsibilities to other federal departments, including transferring oversight of student loans to the Department of the Treasury.

2. School Choice and Vouchers

Kamala Harris: Harris and the Democratic Party strongly oppose school vouchers and school choice programs that divert public funds to private or religious schools. Harris has argued that these programs undermine public education by redirecting taxpayer resources to non-public institutions, leaving public schools underfunded and overstressed. She has championed increased funding for public education, particularly for schools serving low-income communities, and has advocated for expanded support for special education, career and technical education, and English-language learning programs.

Donald Trump: Trump has consistently been a strong proponent of universal school choice, advocating for programs that allow public education funds to follow students to private, religious, or home schools. During his first term, Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which expanded the use of 529 savings accounts for K-12 tuition at private schools. He sees school choice as a way to empower parents, particularly in communities with struggling public schools, and as a means to increase competition and improve education quality.

3. Curriculum and "Patriotic" Education

Kamala Harris: Harris has taken a firm stance against efforts to limit how race, gender, and history are discussed in schools. She has called out attempts to rewrite or sanitize American history, criticizing state policies that downplay the role of slavery and racial injustice. Harris has supported more inclusive curricula that teach a fuller history of the United States, advocating for the rights of students and educators to engage in meaningful conversations about race and gender.

Donald Trump: Trump’s Agenda47 prioritizes the removal of "woke" ideologies from schools, including topics related to critical race theory and gender identity. He has proposed reintroducing the 1776 Commission, a program aimed at promoting patriotic education that highlights traditional American values and the nation's founding principles. Trump has called for cutting federal funding to schools that, in his view, push inappropriate political content. He has also campaigned against Title IX regulations that protect LGBTQ+ students, framing these issues as part of a broader cultural battle.

4. Teacher Pay, Tenure, and Hiring

Kamala Harris: One of Harris’s key education proposals from her 2019 presidential run was to address the teacher pay gap by increasing salaries for public school teachers. Harris advocated for an average pay raise of $13,500 for teachers to close the gap between teaching and other professions requiring a college degree. The Biden-Harris administration has also invested billions in education staffing through the American Rescue Plan, aimed at addressing teacher shortages and improving school resources.

Donald Trump: Trump’s platform includes plans to end teacher tenure laws, which he argues protect underperforming educators. He has called for a shift to merit-based pay, tying teacher compensation to student performance. While this concept is popular among conservatives, it is controversial, with critics pointing to the complexities of measuring student outcomes and the potential for inequitable impacts on teachers in low-income districts. Trump also supports allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons as a measure to enhance school security.

5. Higher Education: Student Loans and Free College

Kamala Harris: Harris has been a vocal advocate for student loan forgiveness and making college more affordable. The Biden-Harris administration has pushed to cancel billions of dollars in student debt, with the Department of Education forgiving over $144 billion in loans through various programs, including the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Harris also supports free community college and four-year tuition for lower- and middle-income families, with a focus on making higher education accessible to more Americans.

Donald Trump: During his presidency, Trump proposed eliminating the PSLF program and made significant cuts to higher education funding, including the Pell Grant program. His current education platform includes plans to create a new, free online university called the American Academy, which he says will provide world-class education to every American at no cost. Trump has criticized student loan forgiveness as unfair to those who have paid off their debt and has called for a privatization of student loans, reducing federal involvement in higher education financing.

6. Equity and Title IX

Kamala Harris: Harris has been a champion of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education. The Biden-Harris administration expanded Title IX protections to include students discriminated against based on sexual orientation and gender identity. These regulations have faced legal challenges, but Harris remains committed to upholding and enforcing civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ students.

Donald Trump: Trump has vowed to overturn the Biden-Harris administration’s changes to Title IX, criticizing the inclusion of protections for transgender and gay students. He has positioned his platform against what he calls "gender insanity," seeking to return Title IX enforcement to a biological understanding of sex. His administration would likely roll back many of the civil rights protections introduced during Harris’s time in office.

Education shapes the future of the nation by determining the quality and equity of opportunities available to students. The stark differences between Trump and Harris highlight contrasting visions for how schools should be run, what students should be taught, and how education should be funded. Key issues like school choice, teacher pay, student loan forgiveness, and curriculum content will have lasting impacts on students, teachers, and families.

Education policy is more than a talking point—it affects the daily lives of millions of Americans. Whether it’s access to affordable early learning, protections for LGBTQ+ students, or equitable funding for low-income schools, the 2024 election will help determine how inclusive and supportive the U.S. education system will be in the years to come.