As I sit yelling at my computer watching the Senate confirmation hearing for Linda McMahon, nominee for U.S. Secretary of Education, the Trump administration’s plan is clear: dismantle public education. The vision for public education under Trump’s leadership promotes an agenda that threatens the very foundation of educational excellence and equality in this country. This plan, if enacted, would put our nation at grave risk. It would decrease opportunity, weaken our workforce, and diminish our ability to compete globally. It is not what Americans need, not what this country deserves, and does nothing to improve education for our students.

McMahon highlights an agenda that advances school privatization and vouchers, which would drain public school funding and worsen disparities for students of color, students with disabilities, students from low-income backgrounds and rural students. The administration proposes an anti-accountability agenda that will reduce federal oversight and roll back data collections, research, and initiatives that advance educational justice — abandoning the nation’s most vulnerable students. Their rhetoric prioritizes eliminating bureaucratic oversight and letting the states make their own systems, would lead to weaker standards for schools based on which state you live in. By contrast, the most competitive countries invest in teacher preparation and professional development; however, the Trump agenda ignores teacher quality. The administration’s anti-affordability, anti-access priorities being considered in appropriations and the emphasis on apprenticeships over college pathways, while important, should not come at the expense of affordable and accessible higher education for all students.

When looking at the world’s top-performing education systems, the U.S. is not among them, In fact, the U.S. ranks 18th. And Trump wants to drive our rankings down even further. However, those in Canada, Finland, Singapore, South Korea, and Estonia, share common priorities that drive student success and workforce readiness. These nations invest in strong public education systems, ensure high-quality teacher preparation, and emphasize excellence for all students. They understand that a well-educated population is the foundation of a competitive economy and a thriving democracy. Yet, the Trump administration, as outlined in McMahon’s confirmation hearing, is pushing for an education plan that moves in the exact opposite direction of these high-performing systems. In other words, we’re going backwards, not forward. That will not make America great.

Amid the countries that consistently rank at the top in international assessments, such as PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), the top performing countries share a series of attributes:

1. Strong public education systems, like Finland and Canada, prioritize well-funded public education systems over private and alternatives to public education.
2. Singapore and South Korea maintain rigorous national standards while providing support for struggling students to ensure that all learners succeed.
3. In Finland and Singapore, teachers are highly trained and respected. In Finland, teachers undergo extensive training, require master’s degrees, and are given autonomy in the classroom. Singapore provides continuous professional development for educators, making teaching a high-status profession.
4. Estonia, Finland, and Canada emphasize problem-solving and focus on critical thinking, collaboration, and digital literacy.
5. Top education systems invest in reducing educational gaps and ensuring low-income and marginalized students have access to quality education.

McMahon and Trump annexing the U.S. from the world’s best education practices will have devastating consequences for our nation’s economy and global competitiveness. If their goals are realized, these priorities will weaken public education even further, leaving millions of students without the critical thinking, literacy, and STEM skills necessary to compete in a 21st-century economy. How can we compete on the world stage if our federal education system is eliminated? These policies will only cause the U.S. to fall behind in global innovation. While countries like Singapore and South Korea are doubling down on investments in AI, technology, and research, the Trump administration’s approach to education is to cut the investments that fuel innovation. Without federal guardrails, the disparities in educational outcomes will continue to grow, further entrenching generational poverty and increasing economic inequality.

Instead of following Trump’s regressive and reckless vision for education, the U.S. must learn from global leaders and prioritize investments in public education, not defund it. The U.S. must strengthen teacher pipelines, professional development, and it must ensure opportunity for all students, regardless of background. Education is the foundation of our nation’s future, and if we want to compete with the world’s best, we must reject policies that dismantle our public education system and embrace the proven strategies that drive excellence for all students.