Watching the election results trickle in on Tuesday, Nov. 5, felt like the ground beneath my feet was slowly sliding out.
At 5:41 p.m. ET, the Associated Press announced former President Donald Trump had won the election.
The implications of another Trump presidency are dire for nearly every aspect of life. But as a prospective elementary education major, I can’t help but wonder what my future — and the future of the nearly 49.6 million students enrolled in K-12 public education — will look like.
This doesn’t even include students at universities like our own that depend on federal funding for higher education.
At the forefront of concerns, Trump has repeatedly pledged to disband the Department of Education, or DOE. If not by outright elimination, he has suggested combining it with another department. During his first presidency, he proposed billions in cuts to the department’s budget.
The DOE was established in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter, who, before his landmark 100th birthday, voted against Trump and his anti-education policies, fulfilling his wish to live long enough to cast his ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The department oversees programs such as Title I funding for low-achieving or high-poverty K-12 schools and Pell Grants for undergraduate students with high financial need. Without such programs, the educational and wealth gaps would only widen.
While conservatives argue that they merely want to return educational choices and policies to the state and local levels, this risks further inequity in districts or states that prioritize education less — or not at all. Federal standards act as guidelines for the states, in turn aiming to create more equal opportunities for children across the nation.
It’s also worth noting that red states tend to rank lower in terms of education and child welfare, and thus conservatives are in no position to be making recommendations for, or taking greater control over, educational policy.
Trump’s platform also calls for the parents’ rights to know what their children are being taught and for reducing funding for schools accused of “indoctrinating” students with leftist beliefs. Across the country, Republicans have sought to limit the teaching of certain topics, a process often described as censorship.
These topics, rooted in science and evidence, include critical race theory, gender identity, and sex education. Some conservative districts have even moved to limit teachings of slavery. As any history teacher will tell you, “Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it.”
Whether or not the subject is “uncomfortable” or “touchy,” students need to learn about reality, truth, and logic, if only to better understand and prepare for the world. Banning discussions about sex education or gender identity doesn’t erase these topics — it merely ensures students learn about them in less informed ways.
Censorship not only harms students’ learning but also places additional burdens on teachers, who are already overworked and underpaid. In at least 10 states, legislators have proposed requiring educators to provide exhaustive lists of all books, readings, and activities included in their classrooms, a process teachers describe as “cumbersome and expensive.”
In opposition to “radical gender ideologies,” Trump and the RNC have promised to roll back Title IX protections against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Doing so risks the well-being and lives of children at critical stages of development, particularly those facing emotional distress or opposition from their friends, families, or communities.
LGBTQ+ crisis hotlines saw a dramatic spike in calls surrounding the election, likely only offering a glimpse of what might come as Trump and his administration begin to roll back protections.
Despite condemning “radical indoctrination,” conservatives often push for religious elements in schools, a practice explicitly prohibited by the Constitution.
For example, on Nov. 14, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters emailed public school superintendents a video requiring students to watch him announce the establishment of the Department of Religious Freedom and Patriotism.
In the video, Walters prays — with a Bible sitting visible on his desk — for Trump, his team, and everyone involved in education, praying he hopes Oklahoma gets “the best education possible.” Oklahoma currently ranks 43rd in public education.
Although Walters stated students didn’t have to join the prayer, at least seven superintendents refused to show the video. The American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations warned schools that requiring students to watch the video violated their religious freedom.
Meanwhile, student and teacher safety remains at risk as Republicans fail to address the real causes of school shootings, instead loosening gun restrictions.
Despite these threats to public education, citizens must not become complicit. Vote in local elections, which shape district leadership and policy. Advocate against harmful policies and for policies that benefit students.
Education is arguably the most important factor in shaping who we are and who we’ll become as a country. Without it, we cannot expect individuals to make the informed choices necessary for a thriving democracy and society.
Our futures lies in the hands of students. Let’s act like it.