I’m an 18-year-old high school senior, and I’m pumped. President Donald Trump’s push to defund the Department of Education is the boldest move I’ve seen for my generation. This is a big win for the next generation of Americans as we’ve finally got a President who fights for us, not against us. Scrapping this bloated bureaucracy proves he’s serious about improving the lives of all Americans. As a Gen Z conservative staring down graduation, I see a system that’s failing us — indoctrinating more than educating — and Trump’s fix is exactly what we need.
Let’s break it down. The Department of Education’s been around since 1980, wasting billions — $80 billion last year alone — and what do we get? Test scores are tanking. There are kids who can’t read at their grade level. We have a one-size-fits-all mess that’s more about woke agendas than real learning. I’m sitting in classrooms where teachers are forced to push critical race theory or gender ideology instead of math or history. And you’re insane if you suggest they start a life skills class teaching my peers and I how to pay taxes or buy a home. That’s the Education Department in a nutshell — less about real-world skills and more about political control.
Trump’s plan is simple! Shut it down, send the power back to the states as our framers intended from the start, and let parents and local schools call the shots. Look at the data. States like Florida and Texas are already crushing it with school choice and local control, while blue-state disasters like California churn out kids who can’t compete. Defunding means my future classmates in trade schools or colleges won’t be stuck with cookie-cutter nonsense. They’ll get options that actually work. I’m not here for a $200,000 gender studies degree. I want a job, not a lecture.
The haters are already screaming, saying it’s reckless and that kids will suffer. But I’ve seen the system up close. Schools are drowning in red tape. Teachers spend half their time on federal paperwork instead of teaching. The Department’s a middleman skimming cash that could go straight to classrooms. Trump’s not abandoning education; he’s unshackling it. It’s time to wake up. This is our shot! Finally, states can innovate, parents can pick, and kids like me aren’t pawns in D.C.’s game.
This hits home for Gen Z. Defunding is not just policy — it’s personal. My generation’s done with being guinea pigs for liberal experiments. We want practical skills — coding, trades, real history — not pronouns and propaganda. Trump gets that, and with this promise, he fired up 46% of 18-29-year-olds in November, up 10 points from 2020.
ELIMINATE THE EPA’S IRIS PROGRAM
Sure, the Left’s losing it, calling it chaos. But chaos is what we’ve got now: a department that’s failed for 45 years while costs skyrocket and scores plummet. As a senior, I’m not waiting for permission to think for myself. Trump’s defunding plan gives me, my teachers, and my state the reins. Gen Z’s ready to ditch the bureaucrats and build something real. Let’s get started!
Brilyn Hollyhand is Chairman of the Republican National Committee’s Youth Advisory Council and bestselling author of “One Generation Away: Why Now is the Time to Restore American Freedom.” @BrilynHollyhand | BrilynHollyhand.com