Message on National Charter Schools Week, 2025

From the earliest days of our Republic, great schools and teachers have fortified the American mind and emboldened generations of students to achieve the American Dream. This National Charter Schools Week, my Administration renews its commitment to defend American charter schools, advance school choice, and protect the sacred right of every parent to be the steward of their children's education.

Since the first American public charter school opened in 1992, charter schools have provided children—especially those in low-income and urban areas—with the opportunity to grow, succeed, and fulfill their God-given potential, regardless of their zip code or financial situation. Today, there are more than 8,000 operational charter schools in America empowering parents to pursue the right educational fit for their children. Charter school students are outperforming their peers in math and reading—and in the overwhelming majority of states, charter school enrollment growth is exceeding school-aged population growth.

As President, I am steadfastly committed to promoting choice, opportunity, and innovation in American classrooms. Since taking office, I proudly signed an Executive Order to expand educational freedom and opportunity for families. It is the official policy of my Administration that parents have the fundamental right to oversee the education, upbringing, and moral formation of their children.

Last month, I also took action to create new educational and workforce development opportunities for our Nation's youth in the realm of artificial intelligence, so that our children will be equipped with the skills they need to be leaders in the digital age. Additionally, I signed an order directing the Secretary of Education to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education—handing education authority back to the States, where it belongs. America's schools should be shining examples to the rest of the world, and my Administration will never waver in its commitment to empowering parents and renewing safety, security, and sanity in our classrooms.

This National Charter Schools Week, we celebrate the tremendous accomplishments of charter school students, parents, teachers, and advocates. We renew our pledge to support freedom in education in all its forms, whether through homeschooling or charter, public, or religious schools. Above all, we remember that great schools are the gateway to a great, hopeful, and prosperous American future.