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WASHINGTON, D.C. – In commemoration of the 238th birthday of the United States Constitution — and in advance of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 2026— U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced her fifth proposed supplemental priority for the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) discretionary grants: prioritizing patriotic education. The Secretarial priority will be used in grant competitions across the Department to promote a civic education that teaches American history, values, and geography with an unbiased approach.
“In the American system, educated citizens who know their rights and embrace their responsibilities cooperate to build a more perfect Union,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “It is imperative to promote an education system that teaches future generations honestly about America’s Founding principles, political institutions, and rich history. To truly understand American values, the tireless work it has taken to live up to them, and this country’s exceptional place in world history is the best way to inspire an informed patriotism and love of country.”
Patriotic education presents American history in a way that is accurate, honest, and inspiring. It emphasizes a unifying and uplifting portrayal of the nation’s founding ideals, highlights the progress the United States has made in living up to those principles, especially the battles fought by civil rights heroes to extend the protections of the U.S. Constitution to all citizens, and affirms that dedication to America’s core values is both meaningful and justified.
The Notice of Proposed Priority (NPP) for Secretary McMahon’s Supplemental Priority has been published in the Federal Register for a 30-day public comment period. The Department will complete the rulemaking process by publishing a Notice of Final Priorities (NFP) that it will utilize to shape future discretionary grant competitions.
Background:
The Secretary’s Supplemental Priorities are tools that allow the Administration to align discretionary grant competitions with its priorities.
To date, Secretary McMahon has released four supplemental priorities to guide the Department’s grantmaking:
- Evidence-Based Literacy promotes literacy instruction based on proven methods based in the science of reading to bolster student performance;
- Expanding Education Choice expands access to education choice across all applicable discretionary grant competitions;
- Returning Education to the States enables the Department to prioritize state applicants in competitions where they qualify as eligible entities or can endorse other types of entities; and
- Advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education encourages the use of AI technologies to enhance classroom efficiency, reduce administrative burdens, and improve teacher training and evaluation.
