Linda McMahon’s education toolkit: Reading, AI, and discipline at the heart of Trump’s school reforms

Education Secretary Linda McMahon is preparing to roll out a sweeping toolkit of recommendations for American schools, aimed at boosting literacy rates, integrating artificial intelligence responsibly, and restoring classroom discipline. The initiative underscores a pivotal shift in federal education policy under the Trump administration, blending classical approaches with cutting-edge technology while reasserting parental and local control, according to reporting by the New York Post.

Federal leadership in a decentralised system

Although President Trump has pushed to scale back the Department of Education, McMahon argues that Washington still has a role in promoting a culture of excellence. As reported by the New York Post, the new toolkit will not mandate compliance but instead share proven strategies and case studies from schools nationwide, complete with direct educator contacts for peer-to-peer learning.

Science of reading and classical learning models

Central to the toolkit is the science of reading, a structured literacy approach outperforming legacy federal initiatives like No Child Left Behind. McMahon is also spotlighting a revival of classical education models in states such as Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida, where traditional curricula have shown measurable gains in student achievement, the Post noted.

Responsible AI integration

AI literacy will become a cornerstone of K–12 education through Trump’s executive order creating a federal AI task force. Key goals include:

Yet, officials warn of risks: generative AI tools like ChatGPT may enable widespread cheating. McMahon has pledged to propose “guardrails” to safeguard academic integrity while encouraging innovation, according to the New York Post.

Restoring classroom discipline

Marking a sharp departure from Biden-era guidance on equity in discipline, the Trump administration will emphasize behaviour-based accountability. Schools will be directed to enforce discipline without racial discrimination, but also without deference to what McMahon calls “ideology-based” leniency. Teachers and principals, she says, must be empowered to curb disruptive behaviour that undermines learning, the Post reported.

Parental empowerment and school choice

The initiative also ties into the broader Trump administration push for school choice, ensuring parents have greater say in where their children are educated. McMahon has framed parental involvement as key to driving grassroots reform and ensuring students are not “trapped in failing schools,” as reported by the New York Post.

Urgency amid declining performance

The rollout comes at a time when U.S. test scores remain below pre-pandemic levels. Critics argue that a fixation on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has displaced merit in both K–12 and higher education. The Trump administration, already clashing with elite universities over admissions and curricula, is signalling a strong return to merit-based standards.

A restructuring of priorities

Taken together, McMahon’s toolkit represents a sweeping recalibration of American education. By merging classical learning principles with AI-driven innovation and restoring discipline in classrooms, the Trump administration hopes to redirect schools toward measurable academic excellence—while shifting power from Washington to parents, teachers, and local leaders.