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 Education Opportunity and Chair of the AFPI-Florida State Chapter
Michael Shires
Vice Chair of Education Opportunity
Laurie Todd-Smith,Ph.D.
Director, Center for Education Opportunity & Director, Center for the American Child
Julia Butch
Policy Analyst, Center for Education Opportunity and Center for 1776
Latest
News Release
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August 11, 2025
AFPI Supercharges Education Policy Team with National Powerhouses Max Eden & James Paul
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) is delighted to announce the addition of two of the nation’s most influential education policy leaders: Max Eden and James Paul. Their arrival cements AFPI’s role as the preeminent force shaping the future of American education through bold, student-centered reforms.
Statement
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July 25, 2025
AFPI’s Erika Donalds Celebrates School Choice Win in Ohio
On June 24, 2025, the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas ruled that the Ohio EdChoice scholarship program is unconstitutional. This Tuesday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost vowed to appeal the ruling. In response, Erika Donalds, Chair of Education Opportunity at America First Policy Institute, issued the following statement
Op-Ed
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July 22, 2025
A Big Beautiful Win for School Choice
Parents and students across the country have reason to celebrate after President Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" into law on Independence Day.
Fact Sheet
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July 21, 2025
America’s Parents and Students Win Big in the One Big Beautiful Bill
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) delivers bold, structural K–12 education reforms that shift power from bureaucrats and rightly return it to families, beginning the formidable work to restore common sense to our Nation’s universities and colleges.
Statement
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July 14, 2025
AFPI Experts Applaud SCOTUS Decision Empowering Parents and Students, Not Federal Bureaucrats
Today, in a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court levied a major win for the U.S. Department of Education, led by America First Policy Institute (AFPI) alumna Secretary Linda McMahon.
Videos
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America First Roundtable: Breaking the Education Cartel
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AFPI Celebrates National School Choice Week
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AFPI Welcomes Erika Donalds as Chair of the Center for Education Opportunity and Chair of the AFPI-Florida State Chapter
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National School Choice Week 2024: The Education Freedom Revolution
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Combating Fentanyl in Schools
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