Policy Priorities
Increasing Education Opportunities
Increasing Early Literacy
Creating Greater Student Outcomes
Improving Spending on Education
For American families and students today, education provides a pathway to the realization of their aspirations and a realization of their dignity. Right now, public education achieves neither end. The key to a better education system, one that serves both America and Americans, is advancing policies that puts American families first, including choice. That’s exactly what the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) is here to achieve. AFPI will formulate educational policies that provide educational opportunity for all American families. This means putting parents and students—not bureaucracies, unions, or politicians—in charge of the education of America’s next generation. AFPI aims to restore our system of public education to its original, legitimate purpose: educating and raising the next generation of Americans, facilitating their dreams—and our prosperity.
AFPI aims to restore our system of public education to its original, legitimate purpose: educating and raising the next generation of Americans, facilitating their dreams, and our prosperity. Providing a high-quality education with opportunities that benefit every student will create greater outcomes for our next generation.
Team
Latest
Statement
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July 15, 2026
AFPI Commends New National K-12 Initiative to Protect Students from Adult Sexual Predators in Schools
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has released the following statements from its experts in response to the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will ensure that K-12 schools that are federally funded will protect their students from sexual exploitation.
Commentary
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July 15, 2026
DEI has Devastated America’s Colleges and Universities
Just a few days ago, we celebrated America’s 250th birthday, and the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. This proclamation launched America on a path to freedom, opportunity, and prosperity unrivaled in human history. The central premise of the Declaration of Independence is the notion that all men are created equal, and the pursuit of this ideal has fueled American success since the nation’s inception.
Statement
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July 14, 2026
AFPI Applauds Common-Sense Policies that Put Students Ahead of Bureaucracy
Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Michael Shires, Ph.D., vice chair of Education Opportunity at AFPI, regarding policies that would return education to the states:
Research Report
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July 1, 2026
“Academic Freedom” is no Excuse for Viewpoint Discrimination
Viewpoint discrimination against conservative faculty is pervasive and consequential. It undermines the mission of the university, violates the principle of equal treatment in public life, and contributes to illiberal campus climates marked by censorship, coercion, and civil rights violations.
Commentary
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June 25, 2026
Protecting Students, Not Bureaucrats
Before President Trump took office, the conventional wisdom amongst policy wonks was that his promise to dismantle the Department was hollow, that there was nothing that could be done without 60 votes in the Senate. But through the thoughtful and creative use of inter-agency agreements, Secretary McMahon has shifted the administration of most statutorily mandated functions to agencies better equipped to handle them.
Topics
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issues
Videos
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How Mississippi Beat the Odds: Gov. Tate Reeves on Literacy Reform and the School Choice Revolution
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America First Roundtable: Breaking the Education Cartel
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AFPI Celebrates National School Choice Week
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AFPI Welcomes Erika Donalds as Chair of the Center for Education Opportunity and Chair of the AFPI-Florida State Chapter
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National School Choice Week 2024: The Education Freedom Revolution
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Combating Fentanyl in Schools
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