Executive Order: Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling

Date issued: Jan. 29, 2025

Executive Summary

This executive order emphasizes the importance of schools providing a patriotic education that fosters admiration for American values. It also addresses the concern that schools are indoctrinating children with radical gender and race theories that force children to adopt victim or oppressor identities based on characteristics such as skin color, as well as question their gender identity and undergo irreversible procedures without parental consent. These practices undermine personal identity, family unity and parental authority, and often violate anti-discrimination civil rights laws. This order calls for the rescinding of federal funding for illegal and discriminatory practices in K-12 schools, ensures the protection of parental rights and promotes the advancement of patriotic education.

Policy Actions

• The order defines a series of terms to lay the groundwork for future actions:
• "Discriminatory equity ideology" is defined as an ideology that treats individuals as members of preferred or disfavored groups.
• "Educational service agency" (ESA) is defined according to 20 U.S.C. 1401(5), and the terms "elementary school," "local educational agency" (LEA), "secondary school" and "state educational agency" (SEA) is defined according to 34 C.F.R. 77.1(c).
• "Patriotic education" refers to teaching American history in a way that is accurate, honest, unifying and inspiring. It emphasizes celebrating America's greatness and history, committing to America's goals and that America's aspirations are beneficial and justified.
• "Social transition" means the process of adopting a "gender identity" or "gender marker" that differs from a person's sex; it does not include chemical or surgical interventions.
• The secretaries of education, defense, and health and human services, in consultation with the attorney general, will provide an Ending Indoctrination Strategy to the president with recommendations and a plan for formulating future policy.
• Federal funding or support for illegal and discriminatory practices in K-12 schools, including the promotion of gender ideology and "discriminatory equity ideology," will be eliminated. Agencies will ensure that federal funds are not used to support or subsidize the instruction or advancement of these ideologies, the social transition of minors or any actions that interfere with a parent's statutory right to information under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) or Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), or violate Title VI or Title IX.
• The attorney general, state attorneys general and local district attorneys will enforce the law and file appropriate actions against K-12 teachers and school officials who sexually exploit minors, unlawfully practice medicine or unlawfully facilitate the social transition of a minor student.
• The President's Advisory 1776 Commission, created by Executive Order 13958 to promote patriotic education, is reestablished.
• The secretary of education will establish the 1776 Commission in the U.S. Department of Education, which will provide funding and administrative support.
• The 1776 Commission will be composed of 20 members appointed by the president. There will be a chair or co-chairs, a vice chair and an executive director.
• The 1776 Commission will develop and implement the "Presidential 1776 Award" to recognize student knowledge of American history, coordinate and broadcast bi-weekly patriotic education lectures regarding the 250th anniversary of American independence, advise executive agencies on promoting patriotic education at national historic sites, support Task Force 250 and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, and work to increase public knowledge of and support patriotic education regarding the anniversary.
• Agencies will ensure compliance with Section 111(b) of Title I of Division J of Public Law 108-447, which provides that educational institutions that receive federal funding for a fiscal year will hold an educational program on the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17 of that year.
• Agencies will prioritize federal resources to promote patriotic education.

Trump's 2025 Executive Orders: Updates and Summaries

Holland & Knight's Public Policy & Regulation Group is reviewing President Trump's 2025 Executive Orders and other actions. To read all Executive Order Updates and Summaries, visit our landing page.