School choice advocate Erika Donalds, wife of Congressman Byron Donalds, discussed education reform in an interview at Turning Point USA's 2025 AmFest. She praised President Trump's plans to dismantle the Department of Education and expand parental control. Donalds also highlighted the potential benefits of artificial intelligence in classrooms with proper safeguards.
At Turning Point USA's 2025 AmFest, the first conference without its late founder Charlie Kirk, Erika Donalds sat for an interview with The Daily Wire's Tim Rice and Mary Margaret Olohan. Donalds expressed enthusiasm for the event's breakout sessions on education reform, emphasizing its role in preserving the republic.
She commended President Donald Trump's commitment to eliminating the federal Department of Education and devolving authority to states and parents. "President Trump is doing exactly what he promised the American people," Donalds said. "He’s going to return that power not just to the states, but expand school choice and give power to the parents to make decisions on behalf of their children." Donalds also credited Education Secretary Linda McMahon for advancing these initiatives.
The discussion covered charter schools, which Donalds has helped establish. She described them as essential alternatives where private options are unaffordable, suggesting partnerships with Education Savings Accounts for modular classes. In Florida, her home state, charter schools already provide individual courses and extracurriculars funded by ESA dollars.
Addressing homeschooling, Donalds noted record-high participation and a desire among more families to join, pledging to eliminate barriers. On artificial intelligence, she countered fears of cheating by advocating guardrails and parental oversight. "We need guardrails and we need parents to have visibility into what’s going on in the AI used in their classrooms," she stated. "Once those guardrails are in place, I believe AI can absolutely help with the abysmal academic results in this country."
Donalds illustrated AI's value in pinpointing learning gaps, such as tailoring curricula for struggling readers or algebra students missing foundational skills. The interview concluded with concerns over ideological influences in schools, advocating expanded parental rights to ensure civic literacy. "We want to make sure that when students are graduating 12th grade that they are civically literate," she said, stressing understanding of the nation's founding to defend it.
