Latest
Commentary
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June 17, 2026
Every State’s Untapped Advantage: ESSA Waivers and Ed-Flex
Secretary McMahon and her team have made considerable progress on one of President Trump’s key campaign promises - reorganizing and dismantling the Department of Education. Before President Trump took office, the conventional wisdom was that there was nothing that could be done to fulfill his campaign promise short of an act of Congress. But by using The Economy Act’s Interagency agreements, the Administration has managed to shift functions to departments better able to execute them.
Issue Brief
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June 17, 2026
Taking Education Back from D.C.: Waiving Federal Control
Abolishing the Department of Education (ED) has been a campaign promise for Republican presidential candidates since Ronald Reagan ran in 1980, when ED was only a year old (Hess, 2023). When President Trump campaigned on this promise in 2024, experts doubted whether he could muster the political support to deliver on it (Lobosco, 2024).
Statement
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June 16, 2026
AFPI Commends New Education Department Partnerships to Protect Students & Return Education to the States
Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Erika Donalds, Chair of Education Opportunity, on the U.S. Department of Education's announcement of new partnerships with the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
State Model Policy
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June 9, 2026
529 Education Freedom for States Act Model Policy
529 education savings plans are tax-advantaged accounts that help families save for education expenses. Established under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, these plans were originally designed to support postsecondary education costs but have since been expanded by Congress to include K-12 tuition, apprenticeship programs, and other qualified educational expenses. As the permissible uses of 529 plans have broadened, they have become increasingly important vehicles for education freedom.
Research Report
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June 9, 2026
529 Plan Conformity across the states: A Reform Agenda After the One Big Beautiful Bill
529 education savings plans, also known as qualified tuition plans, are tax-advantaged accounts in which families invest after-tax dollars in mutual funds, index funds, and age-based portfolios offered by plan administrators under contract with state governments. Earnings grow free from federal income tax, and withdrawals remain tax-free when used for qualified education expenses.
Experts on K-12 Education Freedom
Videos
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Truth Be Told: Why America’s Best Days Are Ahead with Secretary Linda McMahon
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How Mississippi Beat the Odds: Gov. Tate Reeves on Literacy Reform and the School Choice Revolution
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Secretary McMahon, AFPI, TPUSA, & Partners Launch New Civics Coalition
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America First Roundtable: Breaking the Education Cartel
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AFPI Files Title IX Lawsuit to Protect Oregon Girls’ Rights
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America First Unfiltered: Criminals Deported, AI in Classrooms, & DEI Dismantled
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Detransition Awareness Day
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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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Riley Gaines Joins America First’s Athletes Coalition as Vice Chair
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National School Choice Week 2024: The Education Freedom Revolution
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