How are Trump’s education actions affecting your school?

Students look up at their teacher and the lesson projection on the screen. The words “EVERYONE HAS A STORY” hang high on the classroom wall.
President Donald Trump's executive actions on education include efforts to change how some schools approach American history, race, gender, and other complex topics. (Jamie Kelter Davis for Chalkbeat)

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free weekly newsletter to keep up with how education is changing across the U.S.

President Donald Trump has taken a series of executive actions in his first two weeks in office that aim to change how schools deal with politically and socially sensitive topics.

Trump wants to end practices associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion and root out what he considers “radical indoctrination” in schools. He has cleared the way for immigration enforcement near schools. He also has declared that there are only two genders, male and female, that cannot be changed, and his administration has said it will enforce Title IX through that lens.

Executive actions first and foremost direct federal agencies to make plans and interpret the law in certain ways. But they also send a message about the administration’s intentions, and in some cases, they include threats to withhold funds from states and school systems that don’t comply. Many of these executive orders are being challenged in court.

We want to better understand what teachers and parents think about Trump’s approach and whether any changes are happening at the school-level in response to executive orders. Has your school adopted a new policy or scaled back a practice that might run afoul of these executive orders? Or is everything business as usual?

Please take our short survey below — feel free to skip questions that don’t speak to you. If you prefer to communicate directly with us, you can send a regular text message to (908) 827-1448 or use the Signal app to send an encrypted message.

If you are having trouble viewing this form, go here.

Erica Meltzer is Chalkbeat’s national editor based in Colorado. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.


The Latest

A new report defends the Education Department’s research arm but also calls for changes. In this Q&A, Amber Northern discusses the future of the Institute of Education Sciences.

The Chicago charter network said it will cease operations at the two high schools by April 3, when all staff at the campuses will be laid off.

The state-mandated working group created the report and recommends more consistency in individualized education programs, translated materials, and more time for parents to prepare.

Six of 11 members of Samuels’ cabinet are staying in roles they assumed in the previous administration.

The building for Acero Santiago in West Town is owned by the Archdiocese of Chicago but was put up for sale last summer. Since then, parents and teachers have been pushing CPS to take over the building.

Two more senior Education Department officials are leaving as Samuels tees up his first major cabinet appoints.