Public schools in the United States need help.

The latest results from the National Assessment of Education Progress showed that one-third of eighth-graders can read at grade level and 40 percent of fourth-graders fall below the basic level of literacy. The point, however, is not to bludgeon America’s public schools but to emphasize how public policy impacts those results.

And rather than work to improve an education system that has played a crucial role in the development of the United States, Republicans in Washington, D.C., are actively undermining that system.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump allows individuals to donate up to $1,700 to nonprofit organizations and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax break on their federal income taxes. The nonprofit would then dole out the money in the form of scholarships to students attending private or religious schools.

The funds also could go toward a program run by a public school. Some programs at public schools do require payments, but considering that tuition at public schools is free, private schools would be the primary beneficiaries.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a statement: “I’m deeply skeptical of voucher programs that could harm our public school system. I’ve directed my team to analyze whether we can use these funds in a way that benefits public school students.”

Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal said: “The power of public education is that we serve any and every student who walks through the door. Students benefit from diverse schools, and all of that is at risk with privatization that tends to drive more segregation by religion, income, race and disability.”

That represents the crux of ongoing debates about public education. At least 15 states — each of them controlled by Republicans — have some sort of voucher program promoted as “school choice.” The laws typically divert money from public schools toward private schools when parents opt their children out of the public-school system.

This follows a decade-plus of caustic rhetoric aimed at public schools. Critics say the public education system is controlled by teachers’ unions, are too “woke” and are indoctrinating students rather than educating them. The arguments have gained political weight while undermining American exceptionalism.

As President Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying: “I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in. That every man may receive at least a moderate education … appears to be an object of vital importance.”

All of which should lead to wariness about the current approach to public education. In the early years of this century, broad bipartisan support in Congress led to passage of the No Child Left Behind Act under President George W. Bush. The law was flawed, and eventually was scuttled by Congress in 2015, but the desire for effective public education was shared by nearly all Americans.

Since then, as columnist Will Marshall writes for The Hill: “Despite mounting evidence that our K-12 students are sliding backward, school reform barely registered in last year’s presidential election. Instead, Republicans fixated on ridding schools of ‘wokeness,’ while Democrats lined up behind teachers’ unions defending the status quo.”

Neither approach is beneficial to students or for the future of the United States. The federal government must lead the way in bolstering public education, rather than breaking it.