**Trump Criticizes Public Education Spending and Advocates for School Choice**

Former President Donald Trump has voiced his opposition to the teaching of critical race theory in schools, vowing to cut federal funding to institutions that include it in their curriculum. While critical race theory is primarily an academic framework taught at the university level, there's no substantial evidence suggesting its widespread inclusion in K-12 education.

During a recent campaign stop at Milwaukee’s Discovery World Science Museum, Trump diverted from his scheduled focus on school choice to discuss various other topics for over half an hour. When he finally addressed K-12 policy, his comments aligned with his long-held viewpoints. Trump criticized the current state of education, claiming that American schools spend significantly more money per pupil than any other country, yet fail to deliver competent graduates.

“We spend more money on education than any other country in the world, and I said before, much more money per pupil,” Trump remarked at the Milwaukee event. “We’re number one on every list. And yet our public schools get worse, and the results get worse. They graduate from public school, they can’t read, they can’t write.” However, data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicates that the United States ranks fifth in spending per student among approximately three dozen developed nations.

Trump also reiterated his strong support for school choice, framing it as a crucial civil rights issue. He argued that a child's educational outcomes should depend on their passion for learning and parental involvement, rather than their residential ZIP code. “I believe that school choice is the civil rights issue of our time,” Trump asserted. "No parent should be forced to send their child to a failing, government-run school."

While Trump underscored the importance of school choice, he refrained from delving into the specifics of how such policies might be effectively implemented.