Congressional Republicans are exploring whether a budget reconciliation bill could be used to drive out &#8220;wokeness&#8221; in higher education and overhaul the accreditation system that determines whether colleges and universities can access billions of dollars in federal student aid. 
The effort was discussed on Thursday during a panel hosted by Defending Education. This conservative, grassroots organization argues that accrediting agencies have become vehicles for pushing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and other leftist priorities onto schools.
Accreditation is a little-understood but powerful process that determines whether colleges and universities can access billions of dollars in federal student aid. Defending Education argues that some accrediting agencies have abused their authority by becoming ideological enforcers pushing requirements unrelated to educational quality. 
The group pointed to the American Bar Association’s law school accreditation agency as one example. Defending Education said the ABA pushes anti-bias training mandates that universities must adopt to secure accreditation for their law schools.
Republicans are now discussing whether changes to the accreditation system could be included in a budget reconciliation package, which can pass the Senate with a simple majority and avoid a Democrat filibuster. 
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a leading advocate for accreditation reform, argued Thursday that the current system advances a left-wing agenda that undermines Western civilization. 
Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) echoed that criticism, saying, “They use forces like this [accreditation] to jam their beliefs on us. There shouldn’t be left-captured monopolies that get to decide what we believe and what we do.”
The panel also featured current and former law students who argued that ideological pressure extends beyond accrediting agencies and into the classroom. 
Edward Goul, a second-year law student at the University of Pennsylvania, told the panel that only one right-leaning professor currently serves on the law school&#8217;s faculty. He added that many conservative students choose not to disclose their political views out of concern that doing so could hurt their chances of receiving recommendations for clerkships, law review positions, and other opportunities critical to their legal careers.
The other student, a recent University of Virginia law graduate who asked not to be identified, told The Daily Wire that some professors appear to factor students&#8217; political views into classroom interactions and grading. 
&nbsp;

Harvard University

Republicans See New Path To Challenge ‘Woke’ Universities

Education

Reconciliation

Republicans

U.S.

For decades, the Appalachian region of America has been the subject of political promises, federal programs, philanthropic funding, and endless so-called solutions. Despite trillions of dollars in government spending and generations of outside intervention, the majority of Appalachian communities continue to struggle with poverty, addiction, outmigration, economic stagnation, and weak educational outcomes.
Appalachia has long been given “the wrong kind of attention,” according to Garrett Ballengee, president and CEO of the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy. Under Ballengee’s leadership, the Center for Appalachian Renewal is committed to creating a brighter future for people, not another generation of paternalistic programs or distant experts managing decline from afar.
Nowhere is that failure more obvious than in education. If Appalachia is going to experience meaningful renewal in the decades ahead, the region will need far more competition in education.
Public schools lack incentives to improve when families lack meaningful alternatives. Monopolies rarely produce excellence, innovation, or accountability — and public education in much of Appalachia has operated as a monopoly for generations.
Approximately 95% of Appalachian K-12 students remain in the public school district system, making the region home to one of the most concentrated education monopolies in the country. Just 5% of Appalachian students are enrolled in an educational option outside the traditional district system, whether in private schools, charter schools, microschools, homeschool co-ops, or classical schools.
That matters because education is not merely one policy issue among many. It is upstream of nearly everything else.
Strong education options help retain families in the community, attract investment, cultivate entrepreneurship, strengthen civic life, and restore hope that young people can build meaningful futures. Weak systems do the opposite. They contribute to the cycle Appalachia has struggled with for generations: declining opportunity, population loss, and the persistent belief that leaving the region is the only path to success.
The overwhelming majority of Appalachian families have had little to no meaningful choice when it comes to how or where their children are educated. Viable alternatives to the district public school have been almost nonexistent in these rural communities.
That is beginning to change.
Across Appalachia, states are embracing education freedom at a pace that would have seemed politically impossible just a few years ago. West Virginia passed the nation’s first universal education savings account program in 2021. Ohio and North Carolina followed in 2023, Alabama in 2024, and Tennessee in 2025.
This momentum matters. But policy reform alone will not transform Appalachia. Building educational options that meet the demand created by school choice policy is essential for transformation.
In rural Appalachia, launching new schools comes with enormous barriers: geographic isolation, limited startup capital, and a shortage of mentorship networks for education entrepreneurs.
That is precisely why the newly launched <a href="https://www.appalachianrenewal.org/">Center for Appalachian Renewal</a>, an initiative of the <a href="https://cardinalinstitute.com/">Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy</a>, is not only significant but also timely. Its mission is to “advance market-based solutions that strengthen education, opportunity, and civic life in Appalachian communities.”
Its flagship “Education Quarterback” initiative is designed to identify, mentor, and support education entrepreneurs across Appalachia. Modeled after the highly successful <a href="https://www.bluum.org/">BLUUM</a> in Idaho, the program will help cultivate microschools, classical schools, hybrid learning models, homeschool collaboratives, and other educational alternatives that can bring real competition and innovation to these communities.
This effort is not about importing outside solutions into Appalachia. Instead, it centers on empowering people in the region to build institutions that reflect the values, culture, and needs of their own communities.
That distinction matters because Appalachia has spent decades on the receiving end of top-down “solutions” imposed by outsiders who often misunderstand both the region’s challenges and its strengths.
For example, the Appalachian Regional Commission was established in 1965 as part of Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. Since that time, astronomical amounts of money have been spent aimed at the revitalization of Appalachia. Yet many of those efforts fueled government dependency rather than self-sufficiency and bureaucracy rather than entrepreneurship.
There are already signs that Appalachia is standing at a genuine inflection point. Major private-sector investments are flowing into the region. For example, in West Virginia, Google is developing a multibillion-dollar data center, and Nucor is building a $4 billion steel facility. GE is pursuing multi-site energy expansion, including a collaborative effort to build a $1.2 billion natural gas-fired power plant.
For too long, Appalachia has been dependent on federal assistance and defined by narratives of decline, dependency, and helplessness. But a better path forward is possible — one rooted in educational freedom, entrepreneurship, local leadership, and a renewed culture of ownership and responsibility.
Strong families, communities, civic institutions, and education options — on top of economic development — will create a healthier, more vibrant, more self-sufficient Appalachian future.
***
<a href="https://www.discovery.org/p/ingraham/">Dr. Keri D. Ingraham</a> is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, and a Senior Fellow at Independent Women.

Country school house

A Path Out Of The Education Woods In Appalachia

Appalachia

DW Opinion

K-12

<div>
This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
With more college degrees handed out than ever, the relative advantage of holding one has decreased. Add to that the left-wing lurch of most higher education institutions, and it&#8217;s no wonder it&#8217;s become common for conservatives to <a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dont-go-to-college/">argue</a> that college is no longer necessary. 
Yet the job market hasn&#8217;t adapted. A degree has become a blunt hiring filter that often screens out experienced, capable candidates. Virtually everyone in the application pool has one — except for me. That’s where my difficulty lies.
I had made the decision to drop out of school midway through college to start a business. I began traveling to companies to train Gen Z in leadership and interpersonal skills so that they could excel and lead in life. Working two jobs and running a business was hard, of course. But I would still make the same choice today.
</div>
<div>
While 87% of younger Gen Z teens (ages 12–15) are especially likely to <a href="https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/509906/majority-gen-consider-college-education-important.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/509906/majority-gen-consider-college-education-important.aspx&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1780575870682000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1yCRDC8TySsniaMpiHp1Rw">view</a> college as important — compared to slightly lower shares among older cohorts, ranging from 80% to 85% — this optimism sits in tension with the fact that 51% of Gen Z ultimately <a href="https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/news/college-degree-value-generational-divide" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/news/college-degree-value-generational-divide&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1780575870682000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1heY5P6PHubctYOHT4Xlkn">say</a> their degree, once achieved, was a waste of money.
Yet now, I&#8217;m back in school. Why? Because, as I hope to transition into a career in public affairs and government relations, I am asked the same question, time and time again, before the interview awkwardly fizzles into “so, uh, we’re looking to hire candidates with at least a bachelor’s.”
</div>
<div>
From getting turned down during the final round to being unable to get a foot in the door, I have seen firsthand how brutal the job market can be for someone with experience, yet no degree.
</div>
<div>
A dance studio owner had invited me in as a guest teacher. Now, in the dance community, having a degree — even one in “dance” — means almost nothing. You still must audition. You still need to “make it” as a dancer, whether you have a piece of paper that says you can dance or not.
</div>
<div>
I am a retired contemporary and commercial dancer, having performed with Epik Dance Company, Belhaven Dance Ministry, as a backup dancer in music videos, and even in a Bollywood movie called &#8220;Love and Masala.&#8221;
</div>
<div>
For this studio owner, my time on stage, film, and professional work was not enough. She told me she would never hire anyone without a degree again.
</div>
<div>
I have been increasingly running into this dilemma. Hiring managers are quick to give the same response: “I won&#8217;t hire a candidate without a degree.” It’s a quick filter in the application portal. It makes the hiring process faster.
</div>
<div>
But these hiring managers are missing out on the real gems. I know this because I have hired them.
</div>
<div>
As the owner of a training company helping Gen Z grow in leadership for the workplace, I have hired multiple roles, from marketing and social media to executive assistants. I was surprised to discover that my best employees all lacked degrees. Typically, they were ambitious and coachable — and had five to seven years of experience. And these gems were having their résumés passed over by other managers because they “lacked qualifications.” In other words, they lacked a degree. Lucky for me, I learned my hiring lesson early and had the chance to mentor fantastic staff.
</div>
<div>
But I am tired of getting locked out of a dream role — or any role — because I lack a piece of paper. So, now, I’m back in school, playing the qualifications game.
</div>
<div>
My second go-around at college has proven that experience would have been enough. There is not an assignment that I have not done before — only I have been paid, at real jobs and consulting gigs, to do it. Now, I am the one paying to do this work for a grade.
Ultimately, if we want the best workers, we must be willing to dig a bit. Sometimes it means ignoring the “perfect match” the AI bot dragged out of some LinkedIn algorithm. Don&#8217;t let the diamond hire that you have been searching for slip through in the process because a middle manager cuts out any résumé without a B.S. or B.A.
</div>
<div>
I challenge hiring managers to give the person without a degree an interview. She may just be the unicorn you have been looking for, and worst case, you gave her some interview experience. Try giving a few extra interviews to unlikely candidates with unique work experience. You may be surprised at what you find.
</div>
<div>
***
</div>
<div>
Taryn Enos is a student media fellow at the Network of Enlightened Women. She is the founder and owner of Bold Speakers Consulting and a communications major at Grand Canyon University.
</div>

GettyImages-521922244

The College Degree Scam Nobody Wants To Admit

College

Jobs

Upstream

Hundreds of professors across the University of California system are pleading with school regents to restore standardized admission tests, warning that students are arriving so underprepared that instructors are being forced to reteach middle-school mathematics.
The two-page letter, signed by more than 1,100 math and science professors, argues that students are entering college without the proper groundwork and training needed to succeed in rigorous STEM courses, according to the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/university-california-sat-requirement-reinstate-c3e32712?mod=hp_lead_pos10">Wall Street Journal.</a>
“We now observe preparation gaps so severe that instructors must reteach middle-school mathematics while simultaneously teaching the material students need for sciences, engineering, economics, and other quantitatively demanding fields,” the letter states. “UC has finite resources and can help only so many students.”
WATCH FROM TODAY&#8217;S EPISODE OF MORNING WIRE:
  <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; border: 0; height: auto;" title="DW Player" src="https://public.dailywire.com/preroll-player/embed.html?playback-id=4Em02g02OVySl5DDTjCdv01tFj87a8yTL7w&amp;ad-tag-url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubads.g.doubleclick.net%2Fgampad%2Fads%3Fiu%3D%2F61914415%2Fdw.video.article%26description_url%3Ddailywire.com%26url%3D%26tfcd%3D0%26npa%3D0%26sz%3D640x480%26min_ad_duration%3D5000%26max_ad_duration%3D60000%26gdfp_req%3D1%26unviewed_position_start%3D1%26vpos%3Dpreroll%26output%3Dvast%26plcmt%3D1%26env%3Dvp%26vpa%3Dclick%26vpmute%3D0%26impl%3Ds%26correlator%3D%5Bcachebuster%5D" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&nbsp;
The letter also noted that nearly one-third of students in a first-semester calculus course at UC Berkeley “displayed severe preparation deficits,” according to the Journal.
Faculty members pointed to several “warning signs,” including increased time spent teaching prerequisite material, a lack of readiness for advanced coursework, and &#8220;growing pressure to dilute quantitative rigor.&#8221;
“Left unaddressed, these trends will lead to declining graduation rates, longer time to degree, and reduced completion of STEM majors, with consequences for California’s highly skilled STEM workforce,” the letter warns.
The University of California, along with many other universities, axed its SAT and ACT requirement in 2020, joining a broader movement among colleges and universities away from standardized admissions testing. 
Supporters of the change argued that standardized tests were poor predictors of college success. The move also coincided with widespread disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic. 
But UC, in particular, went further than many institutions. In 2021, it adopted a &#8220;<a href="https://dailybruin.com/2020/11/06/uc-to-use-test-blind-admissions-for-fall-2021-following-court-decision">test blind</a>&#8221; admissions policy, meaning SAT and ACT scores would not be considered at all during the admissions process.
Following the letter from faculty, UC Academic Senate Chair Ahmet Palazoglu said the university is examining its policies and requirements, according to the Journal.

Close up. mid-section of young Asian woman reading book and making notes at home, concentrates on her studies. Further education concept

The Anti-SAT Experiment Isn’t Going As Planned

California

University of California

A far-left activist network tied to teachers unions and left-wing advocacy groups has been distributing a detailed training manual encouraging K-12 students to organize disruptive political protests and school walkouts, according to documents obtained by Defending Education and provided exclusively to The Daily Wire.
The 36-page “Direct Action Training: School Walkouts” toolkit, <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/a-k-12-school-walkout-toolkit-encourages-rule-breaking-and-class-interruptions-to-achieve-social-justice-demands/">uncovered</a> by the watchdog organization, explicitly instructs students on how to organize demonstrations, disrupt school operations, avoid oversight from administrators, and pressure institutions through coordinated acts of “non-cooperation” and “civil disobedience.”
The packet was distributed through activist training webinars connected to the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools, a coalition backed by major left-wing education and activist organizations including the National Education Association, Journey for Justice Alliance, Center for Popular Democracy, and Schott Foundation for Public Education.
The training materials themselves were produced by Alliance for Educational Justice, an activist group that has received financial support through leftist nonprofit networks connected to the Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Tides Foundation, and other left-wing grantmaking organizations.
The document openly encourages students to engage in actions designed to disrupt schools and force administrators into political concessions. “Direct action is how everyday people use their collective power to force change when systems aren’t listening,” the packet states. It describes walkouts as a tactic intended to “interrupt business as usual and demand accountability.”
The guide specifically promotes tactics including “school walkouts,” “boycotts,” “strikes – No School, No Work, No Shopping,” and even “class takeover,” which it describes as interrupting classrooms for “student-led discussion, training, or teach-ins.”
In one section, the packet explains how students can transform “absence into power” by creating enough disruption that school officials are “forced to respond.”
“When large numbers of students leave together, classes cannot operate normally and school leaders are forced to respond,” the guide states. “Ignoring a walkout often brings greater attention from families, the media, and the wider community.”
The packet repeatedly frames schools as political battlegrounds and encourages students to view disruption as leverage.
It also includes instructions on recruitment, messaging strategy, protest organization, media engagement, and “walkout leader roles.” Another section titled “Out Reach Safety” advises students to use VPNs because “a VPN can make tracking harder,” while encouraging students to refuse questioning from school officials without a parent or lawyer present.
Though the guide insists direct action is “not about causing chaos,” many of the tactics outlined are explicitly designed to undermine normal school operations and pressure administrators through coordinated unrest.
Defending Education warned the materials reflect a broader trend of activist organizations using schools and students as vehicles for political organizing. “Activists have realized they can use students to advance political agendas, and too many schools either won’t push back or will quietly enable it,” Paul Runko, Defending Education’s senior director of strategic initiatives, said to The Daily Wire.
“Parents need to understand that students are increasingly being recruited as foot soldiers in the culture war, and they should have intentional conversations, especially with teens, about how to respond when friends, teachers, or outside groups encourage them to participate in protests or walkouts,” he added.
The materials also reveal how activist infrastructure aimed at adults increasingly filters down into K-12 environments through affiliated nonprofits, education coalitions, and youth organizing initiatives that outwardly present themselves as community advocacy groups.
The document argues that young people are uniquely positioned to pressure institutions because adults are constrained by jobs, caregiving responsibilities, or fear of arrest. Students, meanwhile, are encouraged to use their position inside schools to “step forward when systems refuse to listen.”
Defending Education’s findings come amid a growing left-wing youth activist class and worries from parents over the political activism increasingly embedded in some educational environments, particularly as outside organizations gain influence through partnerships, webinars, and activist training programs directed at students.

St. Paul, Minnesota student anti-ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) demonstrations, January 2026

Action Backpacks And VPNs: Are Left-Wing Groups Training Your Kid To Be A Political Activist?

Leftism

Schools

This piece is part of MI x DW, a collaboration that brings Daily Wire readers exclusive commentary and research from the Manhattan Institute’s world-class team of scholars.
Since 2016, governments, media, and tech companies have warned about online disinformation targeting adults. Far less attention has been paid to the information tools increasingly shaping children, even as such “kid-safe” platforms become more embedded into the internet’s trust infrastructure.
One significant child-focused platform, <a href="https://www.kiddle.co/">Kiddle</a>, delivers a striking pattern of geopolitical and ideological framing that softens authoritarian regimes and extremist movements while presenting itself as a trusted educational resource. Foreign terrorist organizations, like Hamas and Hezbollah, are whitewashed. Russia’s war on Ukraine is downgraded to a “<a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Vladimir_Putin">military operation</a>,” mirroring Kremlin language, while Joseph Stalin’s role in Russian history is <a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Joseph_Stalin">reduced</a> to his success in building a “strong, modern nation.”
Launched in 2014, Kiddle, which bills itself as a visual search engine for kids, appears prominently in Google searches, often ranking near the top of results. When asked for child-safe educational resources, ChatGPT recommended Kiddle alongside legacy institutions like Encyclopædia Britannica, World Book, National Geographic, and the Smithsonian.
While it boasts far <a href="https://analytics.explodingtopics.com/website/kiddle.co">less traffic</a> than other search engines, Kiddle’s role in information infrastructure gives it outsize influence, as schools, libraries, and even PTAs link to the site. The International Society for Technology in Education (ITSE), an association with 100,000 education stakeholders, <a href="https://iste.org/blog/5-safe-search-engines-for-kids">recommends</a> Kiddle on its website, noting that “results are vetted by editors.” The top referrer of traffic to Kiddle in early 2026 was DiscoveryK12, an online homeschool curriculum.
Yet the content is less kid-friendly than expected. The platform’s article on <a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Vladimir_Putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, for example, offers a softened portrayal of the Russian president. Putin is presented as a peacemaker who is “known for ending the Second Chechen War.” When it comes to Putin’s successive wars of territorial conquest, Kiddle users learn only that under Putin, Russia “took control of Crimea” and “supported a war in eastern Ukraine.” While the need to present information to children in simple language can be appreciated, this characterization is jarringly at odds with nearly a decade of horrific warfare.
&#8220;<a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Hamas">Hamas facts for kids</a>&#8221; informs young readers that “Hamas grew out of an Islamic charity” and supports “Palestinian nationalism,” meaning that it “believe[s] in the idea of a Palestinian nation.” Kiddle says that the U.S.-designated terrorist group’s “fight is with Zionists.” The word “terrorist” is mentioned just once, at the bottom of the article. Former Hamas leader and October 7 planner <a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Yahya_Sinwar">Yahya Sinwar</a> is portrayed as a “very important leader” who “said he wanted to work for ‘peaceful, popular resistance’ against the Israeli presence.”
Iran’s <a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Islamic_Revolutionary_Guard_Corps">Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps</a>, meanwhile, is “a special part of Iran’s military” whose goal is to “protect the Islamic Revolution.” Curious kids will also learn that the IRGC “work[s] to keep the country stable.” The late Ayatollah Khamenei, Kiddle <a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Ali_Khamenei">claims</a>, “supported Iran’s nuclear program for peaceful uses.” He was also a “strong supporter of the Persian language” with a penchant for poetry. No mention is made of the 2025-2026 protests during which state forces — acting at Khamenei’s direction — killed around <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/iran/2026-01-25/ty-article/.premium/some-30-000-iranian-protesters-may-have-been-killed-in-two-days-officials-reportedly-say/0000019b-f437-d174-a3bf-fc3f07170000">30,000 civilians</a>.
Occasionally, a Russo- and Sino-centric view of key conflicts and figures shines through. “<a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Hassan_Nasrallah">Hassan Nasrallah facts for kids</a>” acknowledges that Hezbollah has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, but it notes that “some countries like Russia and China have different views.” Kiddle even clarifies that Russia considers Hezbollah a “legal social and political organization.”
“<a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Uyghur_people">Uyghur people facts for kids</a>” makes no mention of the genocide against China’s Muslim minority ethnic group, Chinese state-run concentration camps, or any of the abuses committed against these people. In a similar vein, the article on the <a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Wuhan_Institute_of_Virology">Wuhan Institute of Virology</a> leaves out the most important single fact about the center: it is considered the likely <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/house-panel-concludes-covid-19-pandemic-came-lab-leak">origin point</a> of COVID-19.
Despite positioning itself as a trusted educational resource for children, Kiddle reveals almost nothing about who controls its platform or how its editorial decisions are made. The site publicly identifies no editors, no leadership team, no ownership entity, and no meaningful editorial standards governing politically sensitive material presented to children.
Ownership is obscured behind a U.S.-based privacy proxy. Kiddle does not disclose its founders, does not claim nonprofit status, and provides no public explanation of its governance structure despite operating as a heavily trafficked educational platform embedded across American schools and libraries.
The site’s Google-adjacent branding makes understanding the nature of the platform much more difficult. Its search bar features the Google logo with the term “Custom Search.” In 2016, EdTech Magazine <a href="https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2016/02/kiddle-google-powered-search-kids">reported</a> that while Kiddle was not affiliated with the search giant, its results “are powered by Google, tailored to the needs of kids.” The site’s name seems like a reference to Google, and its primary-color-heavy logo is a distinct echo of the search giant. Schools, libraries, educational blogs, and even professional <a href="https://www.joplinpubliclibrary.org/e-content">educational</a> <a href="https://opes.lexrich5.org/our-school/media-center/pioneer-research-resources">organizations</a> <a href="https://www.stedschool.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=129202&amp;type=d&amp;pREC_ID=1357451">have</a> <a href="https://google.com/url?q=https://www.keyacademycharter.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=2019079&amp;type=u&amp;pREC_ID=links&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1779295257713384&amp;usg=AOvVaw17N30chxJ7_b8YqT3cf8iA">repeatedly</a> described Kiddle as a Google product or as “developed by Google.”
Kiddle’s <a href="https://www.kiddle.co/privacy.php">privacy policy</a> states that the platform uses cookies “to personalize content and ads” and shares user information with advertising and analytics partners. That language raises a red flag concerning Google’s own <a href="https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/14170968?hl=en">advertising protections</a> around child-directed services, which expressly forbid cookies that personalize ads. When I tested the site, Kiddle served children ads for cybersecurity threat reports, shopping extensions, mobile phone plans, steroid-related supplements, Robux acquisition guides, and other commercial content unrelated to education. Some ads solicited personal information directly through lead-generation forms — a clear violation of Google’s child-protection-related privacy policies. (Neither Kiddle nor Google responded to a request for comment for this article.)
A 2016 investigation by EdSurge <a href="https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-03-01-kiddle-aims-to-keep-kids-searches-safe-appropriate">suggested</a> that Russian-born entrepreneur Vladislav Golunov—previously <a href="https://www.theregister.com/security/2016/04/11/anonymised-search-engine-page-found-on-kid-friendly-search-site/946335">associated</a> with the search engine Lukol—may be the site’s creator. But a decade later, we still don’t know who owns, operates, or oversees the site.
Kiddle has plans to expand into AI, with a new website, <a href="https://kiddle.ai/">kiddle.ai</a>, already live. Branded as “AI for kids,” the product is scheduled for release in July. DNS and hosting records show overlap between kiddle.ai and a subdomain, deepseek.kiddle.co, which references the Chinese AI company DeepSeek. While the exact relationship remains unclear, the appearance of Chinese AI branding alongside an opaque educational search platform with unknown ownership structures and problematic content raises further questions about who is building systems designed to engage kids at an important inflection point in the history of digital information.
None of this establishes definitively that Kiddle has a relationship with America’s enemies. But it does underscore how little transparency exists around a platform increasingly trusted to mediate information for children. A search engine recommended by schools, surfaced by Google, and cited by AI systems operates with no publicly known editors, no disclosed governance structure, and no meaningful public accountability.
That combination — institutional trust, opaque control, ideological framing, child targeting, AI amplification, and hidden governance — is what makes Kiddle more than just another strange corner of the internet. The platform has quietly embedded itself into the infrastructure through which children learn about war, politics, terrorism, and history. And almost nobody appears to know who is shaping that information, how those decisions are made, or whose interests it serves.
***
This is republished with permission from the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal. The original can be found <a href="https://www.city-journal.org/article/kiddle-search-engine-kids">here</a>.
Ashley Rindsberg is an investigative journalist and founder of <a href="https://npov.io/">NPOV</a>.

Two boys using laptop

The Kid-Friendly Search Engine That’s Not Friendly With The Truth

Internet

MI x DW

Technology

When Zohran Mamdani served in the New York State Assembly, he voted for a plan to hire more teachers and build more classrooms in New York City to keep class sizes small.
As mayor, Mamdani has other priorities.
Mamdani&#8217;s 2027 budget, which he unveiled last week, includes $122 million for new teachers and $1.5 billion for classroom construction. That may seem like a sizable investment — but according to New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, this budget puts the city more than <a href="https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/letter-from-nyc-comptroller-lander-re-2025-class-size-plan-certification/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$13.01 billion</a> behind its goal to keep class sizes small.
If Mamdani wanted to find the money, he could re-evaluate the billions of dollars the city spends on its <a href="https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2024/12/following-asylum-seeker-odyssey/382850/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">migrant population</a>. New York City spent $1.41 billion for asylum seeker cash, rent, and food assistance and services 2023, $3.70 billion in 2024, and <a href="https://comptroller.nyc.gov/services/for-the-public/accounting-for-asylum-seeker-services/fiscal-impacts/">$3.02</a> billion in 2025. New York&#8217;s sanctuary city status proved so costly that Mamdani&#8217;s predecessor, Mayor Eric Adams, warned the Biden administration that unless it got the southern border under control, New York would have to cut back on social services for migrants.
Mamdani, who signed an executive order reaffirming New York&#8217;s sanctuary city status shortly after taking office, plans to pursue “a new path of defiance through compassion&#8221; where New York cares for everyone regardless of whether they pay taxes or not.
During his budget unveiling, Mamdani said he “refuses to kick structural challenges down the road for someone else to solve later.” For that reason, Mamdani has declared an &#8220;extension&#8221; for the class size plan — an extension that does not appear to have an end date. In the meantime, Mamdani is framing his refusal to deliver on the education improvement plan he himself voted for as a good thing for students.
“Our administration believes deeply in the state law capping class sizes and I am proud to have voted for this mandate during my time in the state assembly,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This extension will generate approximately $500 million in savings in the upcoming fiscal year, but more importantly it will allow us to implement an achievable plan that better serves our students and our teachers.&#8221;
New York City Council Member Vickie Palladino disagrees.
&#8220;Smaller class sizes mean more classrooms and more teachers, which he doesn&#8217;t have the money to do,&#8221; Palladino told The Daily Wire. Mamdani is &#8220;operating a budget by bailout,&#8221; she added, &#8220;hoping that down in the road, in 2028, he&#8217;ll get a Democratic president to give us a $10 billion, $20 billion, or maybe more. But by that time, the middle class will be gone.&#8221;
New York public schools are already suffering. The State Education Department&#8217;s annual report shows that only <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/05/us-news/nearly-half-of-students-across-ny-state-fail-to-make-the-grade-on-math-english-tests-data/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">22%</a> of fourth graders were proficient in reading and only 29% in math.
A report from the comptroller&#8217;s office also showed that bullying and drug-related incidents have increased this year. New York also <a href="https://www.news10.com/capitol/comptroller-drugs-and-bullying-up-but-serious-violence-near-zero/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed</a> how it collects data, now only reporting assaults or possession of weapons if the school refers the student to the police, the act would count as a felony, and the offender is at least ten years old.
The extension isn&#8217;t Mamdani&#8217;s only proposed public education shakeup. The mayor is planning to phase out New York City&#8217;s gifted student program over concerns that some children might be receiving a better education than others.
&#8220;I will return to the previous policy,&#8221; Mamdani <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/nyregion/mamdani-schools-gifted-and-talented-program.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said,</a> referencing former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to end the gifted program. &#8220;Ultimately, my administration would aim to make sure that every child receives a high-quality early education that nurtures their curiosity and learning.”

TOPSHOT-US-MAMDANI-FISCAL-BUDGET

Mamdani Says He Can’t Pay For School Improvements, But Spends Billions On Migrants

New York City

Sanctuary Cities

Zohran Mamdani

Authorities charged a Tennessee school board member with assault after he called a young female student “hot” last month during a board meeting. 
Washington County School Board member Keith Ervin <a href="https://johnsoncitypress.com/news/373972/washington-county-school-board-member-keith-ervin-charged-with-assault/">faces</a> a simple assault charge after he was caught on camera touching a student board member named Hannah Campbell on her shoulder before saying, “God, you’re hot. Damn. Where do you go to school at?” After the comment, Ervin leaned over and gave the girl a side hug as a few others present at the meeting laughed before moving on. 
The incident occurred on April 2, 2026, during a school board meeting <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=977US_SUGg8">streamed</a> on YouTube. 
The girl’s father filed a complaint on April 3 and a grand jury returned a true bill on May 11 with the assault charge, the Johnson City Press <a href="https://johnsoncitypress.com/news/373972/washington-county-school-board-member-keith-ervin-charged-with-assault/">reported</a>. Ervin reported to the Jonesborough Police Department on May 18 and will make his first court appearance on August 7. 
In a statement, the Washington County Board of Education said it was aware of the charges.
“The Board reiterates that Mr. Ervin’s actions do not reflect the standards, policies, or values of the school district. The Board remains committed to ensuring a safe, respectful, and appropriate environment for all students and staff,” the board said. “Since this is an open legal matter, neither the Board nor any district official has any further comment.”
The board, which censured Ervin during an emergency meeting days after the comment was made, said it could not remove him because he was “independently elected.” 
At a later meeting, Campbell called the school board cowards for not taking more action. 
“To begin, I want to address Ervin’s actions, which were not only unwelcome, but sexist and derogatory,” she said. “I know this because he has not behaved this way with any of our male members, nor do I believe that he ever would. I do not wish to beat a dead horse, as everyone here has clear context as to what happened was wrong.”
In a statement after public outrage over the comment, Ervin said he was not referring to the girl’s appearance. 
“Last week at the board meeting I wanted to congratulate a student who did a great job sharing thoughts with all that was in the room,” he said. “When I mentioned she was hot, I meant she was on a roll. It was nothing to do with her appearance.”
Ervin has been on the board since 2006 and his school board bio describes him as a self-employed dairy farmer on the board of directors for the Washington County Farm Bureau. He is also a member of Bethesda Methodist Church. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire on the assault charge.

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One Creepy Word At A School Board Meeting Changed Everything

Police

Public Schools

Tennessee

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is touting a 66% increase in per-student education spending since taking office, but state reading scores show that the massive cash infusion has done little to improve literacy, and in some cases, student performance has worsened.
Newsom celebrated the spending increase this week, boasting on social media that California now spends a record $28,282 per student as his administration makes what he called “historic investments in public education.” But state proficiency data complicates the governor’s victory lap: black students’ reading proficiency remained flat at 32% between the year before Newsom took office and the most recent reporting year, despite billions in additional educational funding. White students, meanwhile, saw reading proficiency fall from 65% to 62% over the same period.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Reading proficiency of black students in California in the year before Newsom took office: 32%
In the most recent year: 32%
So, a 66% increase in spending led to a 0% increase in reading proficiency. <a href="https://t.co/62o27hKNWy">https://t.co/62o27hKNWy</a>
— i/o (@avidseries) <a href="https://twitter.com/avidseries/status/2055339577032708227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
The figures raise fresh questions about whether Newsom’s education agenda has translated into measurable classroom gains, or whether the Democratic governor is using ballooning budgets to score political points while academic outcomes stagnate.
When Newsom entered office in 2019, California’s K-12 schools received roughly $17,423 per student from state, local, and federal funding sources. Under his proposed 2026-27 budget, that figure has climbed to more than $28,000 per student, representing one of the sharpest spending increases in the nation. Newsom has repeatedly framed the increase as proof that his administration is transforming public education, describing California’s school funding as “the envy of many other states.”
Yet long-running arguments from teachers unions and education officials that low funding was the primary driver behind California’s lagging academic performance now face greater scrutiny. California was once near the bottom nationally in per-pupil spending, but now ranks among the top tier of states. Student outcomes, however, have improved in tandem.
Critics argue that much of the additional funding has gone toward expanding bureaucracy, new state initiatives, and higher compensation packages rather than directly improving core academic performance. Some districts have used the additional funding to shore up payroll and pension obligations even as enrollment declines and test scores remain weak. 
The disconnect is particularly stark for minority students, whom Newsom and other California Democrats frequently invoke when defending higher education spending. Despite the governor’s 66% funding increase, black students’ reading proficiency has not improved during his tenure, raising questions about whether the state’s historic spending spree has failed to move the needle for one of the groups Democratic politicians most often claim to prioritize. In California, at least, Newsom’s record spending has so far produced a record bill, without the record achievement.

62. Munich Security Conference

Gavin Newsom Brags His Constituents Are Spending More Money To Make Kids Dumber

Gavin Newsom

spending

New York City operates the nation’s most expensive public schools, and they are empty.
The city’s proposed Department of Education <a href="https://council.nyc.gov/budget/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2026/03/Department-of-Education.pdf">budget</a> is $38 billion, an 8% increase from last year. At the same time, enrollment continues to decline. Last year alone, New York City <a href="https://x.com/dany_egorov/status/2052395204510994473?s=20">lost</a> 3,500 pre-K and kindergarten students. This is not an anomaly. The School Construction Authority <a href="https://dnnhh5cc1.blob.core.windows.net/portals/0/Capital_Plan/Demographic_projection_Reports/Volume%202-2026.pdf?sv=2017-04-17&amp;sr=b&amp;si=DNNFileManagerPolicy&amp;sig=pl1f%2BywRLsn%2BsVXvRXNIEbkxmnewwAydpZBsa%2F8kIm4%3D">projects</a> that enrollment will decrease by another 153,000 students over the next decade. This decline is mostly due to demographic changes — since 2000, the <a href="https://manhattan.institute/article/an-education-agenda-for-new-york-citys-next-mayor">number</a> of children born in the city has decreased by more than 20%. But also, New York families are increasingly <a href="https://cbcny.org/research/competitive-nyc">choosing</a> charter schools and homeschooling.
Currently, 380 schools — nearly 25% of all city schools — already <a href="https://cbcny.org/sites/default/files/media/files/CBCTESTIMONY_DOE-Prelim-Budget_03232026_1.pdf">operate</a> below 60% capacity.
Maintaining a sprawling system of underenrolled schools is fiscally irresponsible and educationally unsustainable. Even left-leaning publications such as the Atlantic have <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/04/new-york-city-schools-budget/686971/">acknowledged</a> the growing crisis facing NYC school districts with shrinking student populations.
New York City’s political leaders can no longer avoid reality. The mayor and chancellor should create a strategic plan to merge and close underenrolled schools, ensuring a better allocation of the education budget and improving academic outcomes.
My new report for the Manhattan Institute, <a href="https://manhattan.institute/article/what-to-do-about-nycs-empty-schools">“What to do about NYC’s empty schools,”</a> analyzes the city’s enrollment declines and offers recommendations for rightsizing the district, particularly by addressing underperforming and underenrolled schools.
The underenrollment problem is getting worse. Last year, 112 city schools had fewer than 150 students; this year, that number has risen to 134. One <a href="https://www.nycenet.edu/offices/d_chanc_oper/budget/DBOR/galaxy/galaxybudgetsummaryto/default.aspx">school</a> currently employs 21 staff members for just 28 <a href="https://apps.schools.nyc/dsbpo/sbag/default.aspx?DDBSSS_INPUT=K319&amp;fy=2026">students</a>.
Charter schools, by contrast, face much stronger accountability pressures. Because they are funded on a per-pupil basis, shrinking enrollment forces them to adapt or close. Nationwide, charter schools represent only 7.5% of total student enrollment but accounted for nearly 12% of all school closures in 2021.
District schools face no comparable pressure. The NYC DOE continues to fund underenrolled schools as though they were operating at full capacity, <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026/03/23/nyc-school-budgets-zohran-mamdani-hold-harmless-enrollment-decline/">costing</a> taxpayers nearly $388 million annually.
Unfortunately, city leadership has repeatedly shown an unwillingness to address this problem. Last March, New York City Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels canceled a plan to <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/03/us-news/nyc-scraps-plan-to-close-school-at-center-of-hunter-college-professors-racist-hot-mic-scandal/">close</a> Community Action School after a parent made a racist comment on a Zoom meeting. The school remained open so students and their families could “process and recover from” the scandal. The comment was despicable, but it should not have prevented closing a failing school. Community Action School went from 229 students in 2020 to 141 in 2024. Its students&#8217; academic performance is below the district’s average.
More recently, Chancellor Samuels pulled back a plan to close and relocate three schools. One <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/11/opinion/mamdani-keeps-bankrolling-failure-in-nycs-schools/">proposed</a> for closure lost 240 students over five years and had only 54% of its eighth graders reading at grade level. This decision to throw good money at failing schools lowers educational standards across the board. By keeping bad schools afloat, we leave less money on the table for successful schools to open and expand.
New York City students desperately need high-quality education. Despite record spending, only about half of New York students are proficient in reading (53%) and math (57%), <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/05/us-news/nearly-half-of-students-across-ny-state-fail-to-make-the-grade-on-math-english-tests-data/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the results of 2024–25 New York State assessments
The decision to close and merge schools is a serious one and should be carefully considered. It creates disruption for students and staff — and it can have a small negative <a href="https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/short-and-long-term-impacts-school-closure-student-outcomes">impact</a> on students’ outcomes. But refusing to act is even more damaging for students and taxpayers alike.
The Mamdani administration will inevitably have to address this reality, given the continuous decline in student enrollment and the <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/12/opinion/zohran-mamdanis-unbelievably-dishonest-budget/">budget</a> gaps the city faces. The city cannot continue operating a school system designed for a much larger student population that no longer exists.
Other major cities — including <a href="https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2025-11-20/bps-proposes-closure-of-three-more-schools-by-2027-amid-sharp-enrollment-decline">Boston</a>, <a href="https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-school-board-closure-vote/">Philadelphia</a>, <a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2026/02/27/hisd-approves-plan-to-close-12-schools">Houston</a>, and <a href="https://www.ideastream.org/education/2025-12-09/cleveland-school-board-approves-sweeping-consolidation-plan">Cleveland</a> — are already dealing with this problem and have approved plans to close schools. It is time for New York City to follow suit. Every year the city delays action, it wastes hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars maintaining half-empty buildings instead of directing resources toward effective classrooms and student achievement. Students deserve a school system focused on quality, accountability, and academic success — not one committed to preserving empty seats and bureaucratic inertia.
***
Danyela Souza Egorov is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

American Primary School: Interior of Modern Empty Classroom with Desks for Students

The Ghost Classrooms Haunting America’s Education System

A patriotic middle school assembly celebrating America’s upcoming 250th birthday sparked protests and backlash from left-wing parents in Southern California this week after critics objected to the event’s alleged ties to organizations like Turning Point USA and The Heritage Foundation.
The event, dubbed “History Rocks 250,” was held at Canyon Hills Junior High School and focused on American history, the country’s founding principles, and civic pride ahead of the United States’ 250th birthday celebration next year.
But before the assembly even began, protesters gathered outside the school holding signs reading “No politics in school,” while some parents reportedly kept their children home entirely over fears the presentation would push a conservative political agenda.
Much of the controversy centered on reports that organizations affiliated with Turning Point USA and Heritage Foundation had helped coordinate the broader “History Rocks! Trail to Independence Tour,” which is tied to America’s semiquincentennial celebration.
“I’m concerned about the views of Turning Point USA and the Heritage Foundation, which produced Project 2025,” grandparent Debra Esquivel said while protesting the event.
Parents <a href="https://abc7.com/post/controversy-surrounds-history-rocks-250-assembly-canyon-hills-junior-high-chino/19066944/">interviewed by local media</a> expressed fears that conservative ideology was being inserted into the classroom under the banner of civic education, despite school officials repeatedly stating the assembly would simply focus on American history and the nation’s founding.
“The things they teach and the ideas that they like to bring into communities and into students are concerning to me,” parent Kristi Hirst said. School officials and district leaders pushed back forcefully on the criticism, insisting the event contained nothing political or controversial.
“They will be learning about the founding documents and also about the American Revolution,” said Sonja Shaw. “This is nothing new. It’s in our curriculum.” The assembly itself appeared largely straightforward and patriotic in nature.
Students and faculty opened the event with the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem before participating in history-themed trivia games and presentations about the American Revolution and the country’s founding ideals.
One student emcee asked classmates questions about colonial America, while another delivered remarks praising the United States as a place where generations of immigrants came seeking freedom and opportunity. “What makes America special is that for generations families all over the world have come here, searching for freedom, opportunity and the chance to build a better life,” one student said during closing remarks.
Featured speaker Katharine Gorka, a senior adviser for civic education at the Department of Education similarly emphasized America’s openness and national identity. “We are the most welcoming country on earth, and I love that about this country,” Gorka told students.
After the assembly concluded, multiple students reportedly said the event felt like a normal school rally focused on American history rather than partisan politics. “I think they politicized something that’s not political,” Gorka later said.
The backlash puts a fine point on how reflexively hostile some have become towards conservative organizations and overt expressions of American patriotism, even when the actual content presented to students remained centered on basic civics and national history.
The reaction highlights the increasingly polarized atmosphere surrounding patriotism, civic education, and American history in schools — particularly in deep blue states like California, where even celebrations tied to the country’s founding can quickly become ideological flashpoints.

19061769_canyon-hills-JHS-TN-img

Woke Parents Protest As School Dares To Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday

Woke Parents Protest As School Dares To Celebrate America's 250th Birthday

Politics

Turning Point USA

Woke Culture

This piece is part of MI x DW, a collaboration that brings Daily Wire readers exclusive commentary and research from the Manhattan Institute’s world-class team of scholars.
In this piece, Manhattan Institute fellow Danyela Souza Egorov takes a look at ballooning public education spending and asks: What are we getting for this money? Her answer may surprise you.
***
American K-12 public education spending <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED679904.pdf">reached</a> $1 trillion for the first time in 2024.
But what are students getting for that money?
While <a href="https://edunomicslab.org/roi-over-time/">spending grew</a> by 56% since 2013, reading and math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress — known as “the nation’s report card” — declined. Over the next decade, national student enrollment is <a href="https://bellwether.org/publications/how-student-enrollment-declines-are-affecting-education-budgets/?activeTab=2">projected</a> to decline by 5.5%, around 2.7 million students.
There are some bright spots. According to the Georgetown University Edunomics Lab, students in Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and West Virginia have seen <a href="https://us19.campaign-archive.com/?u=179e2a9db6ce62a03ab6a0a74&amp;id=1262a5adf2">some</a> recent gains, with Mississippi <a href="https://www.progressivepolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PPI_Mississippi-Marathon.pdf">leading</a> in reading improvement.
However, most states with increased education budgets have not improved student outcomes, and some have even experienced declines.
What they have done is hire staff. A lot of staff.
K-12 staff <a href="https://edunomicslab.org/staffing-v-enrollment-trends/">grew</a> from 5.9 million in 2014 to 6.6 million in 2024, even as schools served about 1 million fewer students. This disconnect between spending and enrollment has resulted in situations such as a Chicago school <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/chicagos-empty-ghost-schools-teach-us-about-how-system-failing">with</a> 28 staff members for 27 students.
There’s also a Memphis charter <a href="https://www.tnfirefly.com/news/memphis-shelby-county-school-board-renews-public-charter-school-despite-enrollment-of-just-14-students">school</a> that was renewed despite having only 14 students enrolled — it may have helped that the principal is <a href="https://dailymemphian.com/email/23233/view">married</a> to the Memphis-Shelby County Schools superintendent, who is responsible for charter renewal — and 112 New York City schools projected to enroll <a href="https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-city-public-schools-enrollment-zohran-mamdani">fewer</a> than 150 students, effectively creating micro schools and raising per-pupil spending to <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/30/us-news/nyc-doe-projected-to-spend-over-42k-per-student-this-school-year-the-most-in-the-country/">approximately</a> $42,000.
But while lots of states are snatching up staff, they’re not all spending money the same way. Take the four largest states — Florida, Texas, California, and New York — which collectively educate 34% of American students.
<h3 dir="ltr"><a href="https://manhattan.institute/subscribe?utm_source=DailyWire&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=reihan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here for more Manhattan Institute content.</a></h3>
The red states are expanding school choice. Florida dedicates nearly 12% of its budget to school choice programs, <a href="https://www.edchoice.org/2026-edchoice-spending-share-rankings">more</a> than any other state. Currently, 53% of Florida students attend a school of their choice rather than the one assigned to them by the government based on their home address. Texas recently passed a bill <a href="https://www.city-journal.org/article/national-school-choice-week-republican-states">allocating</a> $1 billion to the Texas Education Freedom Accounts, now the largest first-year education savings account program in the country, with over 274,000 students <a href="https://comptroller.texas.gov/about/media-center/news/20260402-texas-comptrollers-office-releases-comprehensive-overview-of-texas-education-freedom-account-applications-1775142014682#:~:text=%E2%80%9CTexas%20didn't%20just%20meet,showed%20up%20in%20record%20numbers.%E2%80%9D">applying</a> in its first year.
Meanwhile, California and New York are moving to limit school choice for families. California previously saw rapid charter school growth, with about 80 new schools <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED558484.pdf">opening</a> annually. However, <a href="https://edsource.org/2019/new-era-for-charter-schools-newsom-signs-bill-with-compromises-he-negotiated/618099">a 2019 law</a> that allowed local school boards to deny charter applications <a href="https://laist.com/news/education/buffeted-by-change-california-charter-schools-continue-to-grow-amid-scrutiny">reduced</a> new charter openings from 80 in 2014 to 12 in 2023.
Similarly, New York has imposed limits on school choice. Statewide, charter schools enroll <a href="https://www.empirecenter.org/publications/migrant-influx-helps-curb-new-yorks-k-12-enrollment-decline/#:~:text=Enrollment%20in%20charter%20schools%20grew,Homeschool">about</a> 7% of students, with higher concentrations in major cities like Buffalo (25%) and New York City (16%), where the number of charter schools has been capped.
This gap may widen next year as states decide whether to participate in the Federal Scholarship Tax program, which offers taxpayers a $1,700 dollar-for-dollar federal tax reduction for donations to scholarship-granting organizations.
Participation requires states to opt in, and neither California Governor Gavin Newsom nor New York Governor Kathy Hochul has done so. As two of the top states in federal tax payments, their nonparticipation could result in California losing $3 billion and New York losing $1.5 billion in potential donations from their residents that will benefit low-income kids in the other 27 <a href="https://www.k12dive.com/news/27-states-opting-into-federal-school-choice-program-IRS-Congress/818087/#:~:text=States%20are%20awaiting%20rules%20defining,building%20is%20pictured%20on%20Feb." target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a> that have already opted in, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YTP9avQpzmXRpQ96zxQ0w60g81A3cdK8/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Democrats for Education Reform. On Tax Day, all four senators from California and New York <a href="https://www.kelly.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/MCG26237.pdf">joined</a> 30 Democrats to propose repealing the program.
Differences in how states allocate the $1 trillion on education resources will continue to influence where families live and how many students can access high-quality education. As David Shor, head of a major Democratic consulting firm, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-david-shor.html">told</a> the New York Times, “education has gone from being basically one of the best issues for Democrats to basically neutral now.”
As red states continue to expand family choice in education spending, Democrats will inevitably face challenges in explaining to voters policies that limit educational options for families.
Danyela Souza Egorov is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

Mother hold hand schoolboy walking to bus. Energetic pupils running crossway.

Schools Received More Money Than Ever. Parents Aren’t Seeing The Results.

Charter Schools

Florida

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