American politics rarely focuses on K–12 education, and the reason is obvious. Students cannot vote, they have no direct voice in national debates, and elected officials tend to prioritize issues with immediate political payoffs. But President Trump took a different approach. In his first year back in office, Trump reshaped American education by shifting authority away from bureaucracy and into the hands of families.

A key part of the administration’s strategy is a nationwide federal tax credit designed to expand educational options for low- and middle-income families. Under this approach, individuals and corporations can receive tax credits for donating to Scholarship Granting Organizations. These nonprofits distribute scholarships that allow students to attend private or charter schools that better meet their needs.

Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program already serves more than 120,000 students annually, and a series of Urban Institute studies found that participants graduate high school and attend college at higher rates than similarly situated public school students. Trump’s plan extends this opportunity to families across the country without removing a single dollar from public school budgets, because the scholarships are financed entirely through private donations.

This matters for millions of students locked into schools based solely on ZIP code. For families whose assigned schools are chronically underperforming, unsafe, or unable to provide basic services, choice is a lifeline. Trump’s policy does not mandate........

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