President Trump Signs Executive Orders on School Discipline and AI Education
President Trump signed a series of executive orders on Wednesday aimed at reshaping key aspects of the U.S. education system, focusing on school discipline and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms.
One of the orders is designed to roll back discipline policies put in place under former Presidents Obama and Biden. According to Will Scharf, White House staff secretary, those earlier policies led to disruptions in classrooms and made it more difficult for teachers to manage student behavior effectively. The order emphasizes that disciplinary decisions should be based solely on a student’s actions, without the influence of broader equity-based guidelines. Education Secretary Linda McMahon voiced support for the change, calling it “historic and commonsense action” to improve school safety.
Another executive order signed the same day seeks to expand the role of AI in education. The goal, according to Scharf, is to ensure that American students are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate an increasingly AI-driven economy. The order encourages schools to adopt AI tools and curriculum aimed at preparing the future workforce.
While behavioral issues have been rising in schools since the COVID-19 pandemic, the extent of federal influence over local school discipline policies remains uncertain. Still, these executive actions reflect a broader effort by the Trump administration to assert a stronger federal role in shaping how students are taught and how classrooms are managed.
