Center for Education Opportunity

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

Erika Donalds

Chair of the Center for Education Opportunity and Chair of the AFPI-Florida State Chapter

Laurie Todd-Smith,

Director, Center for Education Opportunity & Director, Center for the American Child

Julia Butch

Policy Analyst, Center for Education Opportunity and Center for 1776

General Mick Zais

Senior Fellow, Center for Education Opportunity

Latest

Nomination Bio | January 13, 2025

America First Nomination: Linda McMahon

Linda McMahon, a North Carolina native and Chair of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), brings a proven record of effective leadership to her nomination as Secretary of Education. As Administrator of the Small Business Administration under the first term of President Donald J. Trump from 2017 until 2019, she prioritized opportunities for underserved communities, streamlined resources to maximize efficiency, and empowered small businesses to succeed.

News | January 6, 2025

AFPI Welcomes Erika Donalds as Chair of the Center for Education Opportunity and Chair of the AFPI-Florida State Chapter

The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) announced that Erika Donalds, a prominent advocate for education reform and dedicated community leader, will join AFPI as Chair of the Center for Education Opportunity and Chair of the AFPI-Florida State Chapter.

Fact Sheet | December 5, 2024

State Policy Actions to Improve School Safety

Improving school safety and fostering safe communities where our children can thrive should be a unifying priority for all Americans.

Fact Sheet | October 11, 2024

America First vs. America Last Report Card: K-12 Mathematics Achievement

Fact Sheet | October 11, 2024

America First vs. America Last Report Card: U.S. History

America First policies provide educational options for families and focus on core subject expertise, while America Last policies infiltrate public schools with radical ideologies and disempower parents by limiting options. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) U.S. history assessment is administered to representative samples of fourth-grade students across the country.