Having spent 40 years as a coach and educator, I’ve long said that young people are our country’s most precious commodity. If we get everything else right but neglect to properly teach and train our young people, our country has no future. Or at least not a future that many of us would care to live in.
Education, after all, is the key to unlocking opportunity. Many of our Founders, especially Thomas Jefferson, noted this in their letters and speeches. They believed that for our Republic to remain free, education must be regarded as a serious responsibility by every citizen. It is our civic duty to educate ourselves about civics, history, and the values we hold dearly.
In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that the Department of Education is failing our young people in each of these categories. Instead, it has functioned as a woke indoctrination machine, not an education system that prepares young people for successful lives or good-paying jobs. Rather than giving students the tools to succeed, it is setting them up for failure—and our country as a result.
Linda McMahon, President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Education, sees clearly what the Department of Education has become. She has a long history of fighting for our students to get the best education possible. She served on the Connecticut School Board and has served on the board of Sacred Heart University for twenty years. But most importantly, she won’t be afraid to shake up the status quo at the Education Department. When we met earlier this month, we discussed some of the changes she would like to see implemented.
At the top of the list of reforms is ensuring that students are taught the fundamentals, such as reading, history, science, and math, not Left-wing propaganda. During COVID-19, many of us witnessed firsthand what students were being exposed to. Some of the materials being taught in schools included critical race theory, age-inappropriate content (such as sexually explicit picture books in elementary schools), anti-American revisionist history, environmental extremism, and climate fearmongering. There is no place for this propaganda anywhere in American public education.
It’s no surprise then that K-12 education in the United States has been stagnating and even declining in recent years as a result. Data suggests that we are falling behind the world in math, reading, and science. Proper education has been substituted with left-wing propaganda. With Secretary McMahon leading the Department of Education, schools who continue teaching these materials should expect their funds to dry up.
Additionally, and critical to advancing this objective, will be implementing universal school choice. This was a major piece of President Trump’s campaign platform. This will help eliminate indoctrination in schools by ensuring that students and parents, not corrupt teachers unions, have the right to control the education of America’s youth.
Linda McMahon has already shown a commitment to advancing this goal. As the Chair of the Board at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), Linda McMahon was an advocate for parents’ rights, where she worked hard to get universal school choice implemented in 12 states. With Secretary McMahon leading the charge, Americans should only expect this number to go up.
Additionally, Secretary McMahon understands the importance of boosting technical colleges and workforce development programs. Our country needs to do a better job of preparing students to enter the workforce. A great place to start is by promoting trade and technical schools and solidifying their role in bringing Americans into the workforce.
As a nation, we must recognize that not everyone should attend a traditional four-year college. Technical education programs like dual enrollment, apprenticeships, and short-term certifications should be recognized for what they are: respectable paths for incredible opportunities. As a member of the Senate HELP Committee, I look forward to working with Secretary McMahon to promote educational programs that will equip students with the skills needed to succeed in their field of choice.
While these reforms will be no small task, Linda McMahon has the skills, experiences, and leadership qualities needed to complete the job. She has executive experience, having served as President Trump’s first Small Business Administration administrator and as a Founder, President, and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE), one of the most successful companies in America.
Moreover, she served on the Board of Trustees at Sacred Heart University for 16 years, as well as on the Connecticut State Board of Education for two years. Throughout her career, she has been an outspoken champion of giving students the opportunities needed to receive an excellent education, regardless of zip code, race, religion, or economic circumstances.
President Trump’s selection of Linda McMahon is the perfect pick to be the next Secretary of Education. Under her leadership, we will see education run by the states and localities, not by bureaucrats in D.C. We will see student achievement and competitiveness reach levels we haven’t seen in decades—all built on the fundamentals of reading, writing, and math, not propaganda.
With Republicans in control of the Senate, I look forward to supporting her confirmation vote. There is no better person to run the Department than Linda McMahon who will restore education to the gold standard described by John Adams as “the surest foundation of a republic.”
Tommy Tuberville is a United States Senator representing Alabama.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
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