Â鶹ÒùÔº

While the White House's fight with elite universities such as has recently dominated the headlines, the feud overshadows the broader and on K-12 public education by the Trump administration and many states.

The Trump administration , imperiling efforts to protect students' civil rights, and for fiscal year 2026. Meanwhile, the administration is . These moves build upon similar efforts by conservative states going back decades.

But the consequences of withdrawing from public education could be dire for the U.S. In our 2024 book, "," we explore the history of public education, from " in the early 19th century to the in the 20th that helped millions of veterans go to college and become homeowners after World War II.

We found that public education has been essential for not only creating an educated workforce but for inculcating the United States' fundamental values of liberty, equality, fairness and the common good.

In the public good

Opponents of public education often refer to public schools ," a pejorative that seems intended to associate public education with "big government"—seemingly at odds with the of many Americans.

But, as we have previously explored, government has always been a significant partner with the private market system in achieving the country's fundamental political values. Public education has been an important part of that partnership.

Education is what , which means it not only benefits students but the country as well.

Mann, an the father of the American public school system, argued that universal, publicly funded, nonsectarian public schools would , expand the economy and fend off social disorder.

In researching Mann's common schools and other educational history for our book, two lessons stood out to us.

One is that the U.S. investment in public education over the past 150 years has created a well-educated workforce that has fueled innovation and unparalleled prosperity.

As , for example, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries the states expanded public education to include high school to meet the increasing demand for a more educated citizenry as a result of the Industrial Revolution. And the GI Bill for returning veterans to earn college degrees or train for vocations, support young families and buy homes, farms or businesses, and it encouraged them to become more engaged citizens, making "U.S. democracy more vibrant in the middle of the twentieth century."

The other, equally significant lesson is that the democratic and republican principles that propelled Mann's vision of the common school . Mann's goal was a ""—that is, a citizenry educated in "good citizenship, democratic participation and societal well-being."

Mann believed than "the proper training of the rising generation," calling it the country's "highest earthly duty."

Attacking public education

Today, Mann's vision and all that's been accomplished by public education is under threat.

Trump's second term has supercharged efforts by conservatives over the past 75 years and .

Most notably, Trump has begun dismantling the Department of Education to . The , among other things, distributing federal funds to public schools, protecting students' civil rights and supporting high-quality educational research. It has also been responsible for —a function that the administration , which has no experience in loan management.

The president's has slashed the department's staff in half, with especially deep cuts to the Office for Civil Rights, which, as noted, .

Trump's efforts to has so far with Congress and the public. The administration for fiscal year 2026, which Congress is currently negotiating.

And contradicting its stance on ceding more control to states and local communities, the administration what can't and must be taught in public schools. For example, it's for school districts that recognize transgender identities or teach about structural racism, white privilege and similar concepts. On the other hand, the White House is that depicts the founding of the U.S. as "unifying, inspiring and ennobling."

Promoting private education

As Trump and states have cut funding and resources to public education, they've been shifting more money to K-12 private schools.

Most recently, the budget bill passed by Congress in July 2025 to organizations that fund private school scholarships. The credit, which unlike a deduction counts directly against how much tax someone owes, is $1,700 for individuals and double for married couples. The total cost could run into the billions, since it's unclear how many taxpayers will take advantage.

Meanwhile, 33 states toward private schools by providing vouchers, tax credits or another form of financial assistance to parents. All together, states to support private school education in 2024.

Government funding of private schools diverts money away from public education and makes it to provide the quality of education that would most benefit students and the public at large. In Arizona, for example, their doors permanently as a result of the state's support for charter schools, homeschooling and private school vouchers.

That's because public schools are funded based on how many students they have. As more students switch to private schools, there's less money to cover teacher salaries and fixed costs such as building maintenance. Ultimately, that means fewer resources to educate the students who remain in the public school system.

Living up to aspirations

We believe the harm to the country of promoting private schools while rolling back support for public education is about more than dollars and cents.

It would mean abandoning the principle of universal, nonsectarian education for America's children. And in so doing, Mann's "virtuous citizenry" will be much harder to build and maintain.

America's private market system, in which individuals are free to contract with each other with minimal government interference, and opportunity in the U.S., as our book documents. But, as we also establish, relying on private markets to educate America's youth makes it harder to create equal opportunity for children to learn and be economically successful, leaving the country less prosperous and more divided.