U.S. Department of Education

Keri D. Ingraham recently appeared on Kevin McCullough’s That Kevin Show Podcast as well as his television show. On Kevin McCullough’s television broadcast she discussed the Education Freedom Tax Credit. Ingraham explained how taxpayers can contribute to a scholarship granting organization and receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit up to $1,700 per year. She discussed which states have already opted into the program. The conversation also touched parental concern and dissatisfaction with public education. On That Kevin Show Podcast, Ingraham talked about accountability in the education system. She addressed progress on dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, how school choice improves educational outcomes, and parental rights. (Segment begins at 51:30)

Roughly $800 billion is spent annually on K-12 education, yet the National Assessment of Educational Progress results indicate that, on average, seven out of 10 public school students score below grade-level proficiency in reading and math. As I wrote in my article last month in The Daily Wire, when it comes to the pitiful student learning results in education, “The missing ingredient is not money — it’s meaningful choice.” Parents have been trapped by the government-run, teacher-union controlled K-12 public education monopoly. While federal spending accounts for only roughly 10% of overall education spending, it controls perhaps 90% of the rules and regulations. This federal bureaucracy significantly hinders the ability of states to innovate. Thankfully, for parents and the American Read More ›

It’s been just over one year since President Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and return authority to the states. It was a historic day to take the first step toward stopping the status quo of pouring astronomical amounts of money and layering on more and more federal bureaucracy, without improving learning. Education is intended to be governed at the state and local level. While it will take votes in Congress to fully eliminate the Department of Education, under the leadership of Secretary Linda McMahon, much progress has already occurred in downsizing it. For example, $2 billion in funds that supported radical ideologies have been cut, staffing has been downsized nearly 50%, and it Read More ›

On May 5, Keri D. Ingraham, Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute and Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, spoke at the ACE Scholarships Education Freedom Tax Credit Symposium. The event was held at the Four Seasons in Denver, Colorado.  In recognition of her national leadership in advancing education freedom, Ingraham was invited to deliver formal remarks titled “The Research Doesn’t Lie.”  The event was co-moderated by Norton Rainey, CEO of ACE Scholarships, and Hanna Skandera, President and CEO of Daniels Fund. Skandera provided a warm introduction of Ingraham, noting her professional accomplishments and influence. In her remarks, Ingraham stated:  U.S. K-12 public education spending is 38% higher per student than the average developed country — yet the majority of those countries outperform U.S. students academically.  Despite this, politicians, education leaders, and teachers unions remain fixated on the Read More ›

On April 15, Keri D. Ingraham appeared on the Pioneer Institute’s education podcast, The Learning Curve, co-hosted by Professor Albert Cheng and Walter Blanks. Dr. Ingraham explains why she is passionate about giving kids school choice, the dismal state of public education in the United States, the importance of choice in education, how school choice improves learning outcomes even at public schools, and more.

For decades, the Department of Education has operated the federal student loan system on autopilot, continually expanding its size, complexity, and cost. The result is a $1.7 trillion portfolio — nearly twice the size of all university endowments combined and larger than JPMorgan Chase’s loan portfolio, the nation’s largest bank — yet it operates without the financial expertise, transparency, or accountability a system of this scale requires. The Department of Education reports that fewer than 40 percent of borrowers are in repayment, and nearly a quarter of borrowers are in default. While not designed to function as a bank, the Department of Education has been managing what is effectively the fifth-largest financial institution in the United States. A course correction Read More ›

It’s been one year since President Trump signed the historic executive order, “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities.” At the signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House on March 20, 2025, the President directed U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” The stated purpose and policy of the executive order reads: “Our Nation’s bright future relies on empowered families, engaged communities, and excellent educational opportunities for every child. Unfortunately, the experiment of controlling American education through Read More ›

Keri D. Ingraham appeared on The Tony Kinnett Cast to discuss how the Trump Administration has shrunk the Department of Education, returning authority to states and to parents. Dr. Ingraham explained how removing red tape, funding programs such as charter schools, and creating interagency partnerships have reduced federal bureaucracy and improved education opportunities for children nationwide.

Keri D. Ingraham appeared on The Silk or Joe Show to discuss the progress of shrinking the U.S. Department of Education since President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on March 20, 2025, Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities. She talks about the importance of returning power to local communities and parents in K-12 education, the fear-mongering of the teachers unions, and how free market solutions will improve education outcomes nationwide.

The U.S. Department of Education has spent more than $3 trillion since 1980, with little to show for it. Reading and math scores have barely budged, achievement gaps remain, and too many families are trapped in a system that fails their children. On March 20, 2025, President Trump took decisive action by signing an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to dismantle the department and return authority to the states. A year later, the results are striking. The department has overhauled operations — cutting nearly half its staff, reducing administrative layers, and consolidating offices. Grants have been streamlined, programs merged, reporting reduced, and oversight of the $1.6 trillion student-loan portfolio shifted to a more capable agency. Critics predicted chaos. Read More ›

America’s workforce crisis is leaving too many young people and adults on the sidelines. According to Nick Moore, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education, “more than one in ten young people aged 16-24 are disconnected from both school and work, while many adults face barriers to reentry due to credential opacity, benefits cliffs, or misalignment between education and employer needs.” This reality underscores the need for a workforce system that delivers clear pathways to skills, credentials, and employment. Thankfully, the Trump administration is taking decisive action to address this through multifaceted measures that merge education and workforce development programs that will provide a brighter future for Americans. It Read More ›

Last week, the White House convened an education roundtable with U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon titled, “Biased Professors, Woke Administrators, and the End of Free Inquiry on U.S. Campuses.” Secretary McMahon opened the event by stating, “It was an honor to be at the White House today with this dedicated coalition of students, faculty, institutional leaders, and policy advocates to highlight the issue of woke ideology and the capture of our institutions of higher education. DEI policies have turned universities from free marketplaces of ideas to purveyors of manufactured ideological conformity, chilling free speech and undermining academic rigor.” She explained, “We are committed to working with higher education leaders to reverse course from these decades of decline.” The Secretary Read More ›