Secretary of Education Announces "Returning Education to the States" Tour to Promote Local Control and School Choice

The Secretary of Education announced a nationwide "returning education to the states" tour, saying the administration will spend the next year visiting schools across the country to spotlight local programs and shift education decision-making from Washington to communities.

The secretary framed the effort as reversing what they called "the federal government's heavy hand in education," arguing that "education isn't decided in Washington DC. It is shaped in our schools, our neighborhoods, and by the people who know our children best." The announcement identified the tour as a vehicle to "highlight successful programs that put students first" and to "show what happens when the local communities lead."

On the tour's policy priorities, the secretary said the Trump administration's goals are to "take the bureaucracy out of education, expand school choice, and make sure every student has access to a quality education." The speaker described these aims as part of "restoring local control, expanding choices for families, and building a future where every student can succeed."

The secretary said the visits will occur "over the next year" and will focus on classrooms, communities and local leaders. No budget, specific itinerary, or participating districts were provided in the remarks.

The announcement is primarily a policy framing and public-relations effort: it lays out goals but does not enact any regulations, funding changes or formal decisions in the remarks reviewed. The speaker closed by urging a return of decision-making to states: "Let's return education to our states and give America's students a future they deserve."

Next steps identified in the remarks are limited to the forthcoming tour itself; the secretary did not specify dates, cities, participating schools, or legislative or regulatory actions tied to the announcement within the text of the remarks.