Policy Priorities
Increasing Education Opportunities
Increasing Early Literacy
Creating Greater Student Outcomes
Improving Spending on Education
For American families and students today, education provides a pathway to the realization of their aspirations and a realization of their dignity. Right now, public education achieves neither end. The key to a better education system, one that serves both America and Americans, is advancing policies that puts American families first, including choice. That’s exactly what the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) is here to achieve. AFPI will formulate educational policies that provide educational opportunity for all American families. This means putting parents and students—not bureaucracies, unions, or politicians—in charge of the education of America’s next generation. AFPI aims to restore our system of public education to its original, legitimate purpose: educating and raising the next generation of Americans, facilitating their dreams—and our prosperity.
AFPI aims to restore our system of public education to its original, legitimate purpose: educating and raising the next generation of Americans, facilitating their dreams, and our prosperity. Providing a high-quality education with opportunities that benefit every student will create greater outcomes for our next generation.
Team
Laurie Todd-Smith, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Education Opportunity & Director, Center for the American Child
The Honorable Scott Turner
Chair, Center for Education Opportunity
Julia Butch
Policy Analyst, Center for Education Opportunity and Center for 1776
Allison Schuster
Communications Specialist and Policy Advisor, Center for Education Opportunity; Center for the American Child
General Mick Zais
Senior Fellow, Center for Education Opportunity
Latest
Analysis of Iowa HF 2544: The Social Studies Curriculum Act, Section 1
Iowa’s Social Studies Curriculum Act would have accomplished the following: Used portions of the America First Policy Institute’s model policy, The Social Studies Curriculum Act, to establish modules based on accurate teaching of American history and address record-low history and civics scores.
Federal Accountability Measures are Failing Pennsylvania Students
Schools are failing students, families — action needed
Federal Accountability Measures are Failing Georgia Students
Accountability In America’s Public Schools: Georgia
Combating Fentanyl In Schools Act
The Combating Fentanyl in Schools Act requires public schools to provide drug poisoning awareness and education on fentanyl to students in grades 6–12 and draws from legislation in Texas and Illinois. According to an article published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 83.9% of overdose deaths among adolescents from July 2019–December 2021 involved illicitly manufactured fentanyl, yet only 35% of adolescents in the study had a documented history of opioid use (Tanz et al., 2022, p.1576). Education should be the first line of defense to prevent children and adolescents from succumbing to these preventable and senseless deaths.