McMahon embarks on four-state tour to put local leaders and parents 'back into the drivers seat' of education

FIRST ON FOX: Education Secretary Linda McMahon is set to launch a multi-state speaking tour Tuesday titled "The Next 250: American Education," laying out her vision for the next 250 years of American education while championing the Trump administration's efforts to reduce federal oversight and return power to local communities.

"The Trump Administration has moved at a rapid pace over the last 21 months to bring much-needed change to our nations education system. The Next 250: American Education speaking series is an opportunity to highlight all we have accomplished and look to the work to come for American students, families, and educators," McMahon told ahead of her first stop in Utah.

McMahon will arrive in Utah on Tuesday to tout the administrations efforts to reform K-12 education by delivering a keynote address on "returning education to the states, investing in meaningful learning and proven interventions, and expanding education freedom for millions of American students and families," according to Department of Education (ED) officials.

"In every decision we make, we are not asking whats better for growing government power, ideological agendas, or bureaucrats careers. We are returning education to its most basic obligation: to nurture the God-given potential of our children," McMahon said.

AMERICA'S NEXT 250 YEARS BEGIN IN THE CLASSROOM

Following her Utah visit, McMahon plans to visit Nevada, Arizona, and Tennessee, where she will address workforce training programs, Pell Grants for community college students and rising higher education costs.

McMahons upcoming tour follows the departments broader 50-state "Returning Education to the States" tour. The department has repeatedly emphasized to parents that administrative authority must shift to local leaders, citing $3 trillion in federal spending and national assessment results that the administration says show only three in 10 American students are proficient in math and reading.

"Despite $3 trillion in taxpayer investment in a federal Department of Education, only three in 10 students are proficient in reading and math. That is exactly why the Trump administration is returning education to the states and putting local leaders and parents back into the drivers seat," an ED spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TOUTS HARD RESET FOR AMERICAN SCHOOLS, VOWS TO PUT PARENTS BACK IN CHARGE

McMahon, who pledged upon taking office to dismantle the agency from within, has previously said she would hire staff committed to eliminating their respective positions as part of a long-term goal to phase out federal oversight.

The tour follows President Donald Trump's recent at the White House, where he promoted school choice initiatives alongside McMahon, students, parents, and educators in the Rose Garden. During the event, Trump argued that despite massive federal spending, student performance remains unacceptable and families require more educational flexibility. He also pledged to eliminate "far-left extremism" from classrooms.

As part of that push, the administration highlighted the upcoming Education Freedom Tax Credit. Scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, the program will allow individual taxpayers to receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 — and up to $3,400 for married couples filing jointly — for cash con