White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back on criticism of President Donald Trump’s education agenda during a press encounter this week, pointing to decades of federal spending through the Department of Education that she says have yielded poor results for American students.

When asked by a reporter, “Karoline, what do you say to critics of the President’s education plan?” Leavitt responded by questioning the long-term effectiveness of the federal education system.

“Where was there criticism of our nation’s failing test scores for the last several decades,” Leavitt said.

“The Department of Education was founded in the 1970s and since then, we have spent more than $3 trillion at this federal bureaucracy, what has been the return on that investment for the American taxpayer, levels that are less than ideal, less than proficient.”

Leavitt cited student achievement data as further evidence of failure at the federal level.

“Our children’s test scores are incredibly concerning when it comes to reading rates, literacy rates, math and science test scores,” she said.

“The numbers prove that.”

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She went on to defend President Trump’s efforts to reform education policy by decentralizing control and empowering those closest to the classroom.

“The President is finally—this President is finally taking much needed action to return education to where it belongs, and that’s to educators closest to students in their classrooms in their respective states,” Leavitt said.

Leavitt also previewed an upcoming event as an example of how the administration is working with local leaders and educators to reshape the nation’s education system.

“We’re going to have a great event here later, at four o’clock, there will be students here, teachers here, parents here, educators and, of course, governors from around the country who are very excited about taking on this responsibility to educate our nation’s students,” she said.

Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) never missespic.twitter.com/YA8vfpKJDA

— Javon A. Price (@JavonAPrice) March 20, 2025

The Trump administration’s education agenda continues to emphasize parental rights, local decision-making, and reducing the size and scope of the federal Department of Education—an approach that Leavitt and other White House officials say reflects growing public dissatisfaction with centralized control and stagnant academic performance.

Leavitt’s comments come as the administration prepares to roll out additional reforms aimed at improving academic outcomes through increased flexibility for states and educators.

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