On Wednesday, President Trump introduced a series of executive actions targeting both the K-12 and higher education systems, aiming to align them more closely with his conservative policy goals. A key measure focuses on reforming college and university accreditation, which the administration accuses of enforcing biased diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) standards. The directive instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to revamp the accreditation process, promote competition by authorizing new accrediting bodies, and increase campus intellectual diversity. Trump, who previously described accreditation as his “secret weapon” against ideological influence in higher education, plans to use it as a tool to hold institutions more accountable.
Beyond higher education, the executive orders address various areas of education policy. For K-12 schools, new guidance on discipline is expected to shift focus to behavior-based criteria, moving away from DEI-related frameworks. The orders also call for increased transparency in college financial operations, enhanced instruction on artificial intelligence, expanded workforce training, and a new federal initiative supporting historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Another action demands that universities fully disclose foreign funding or risk losing federal grants. These moves reflect Trump’s broader effort to reverse policies from the previous administration and steer education policy in a new direction.