Good evening, everyone. I am the academic dean of the Harvard Kennedy school. Tonight, we are joined by a professor and a very special guest to explore the critical question of how to improve our Education System. Should we address the challenges of our Education System by shifting resources from School Districts to parents by giving them tax dollars to choose whether to send their children and to Public Schools, Charter Schools, or private schools . This is the latest chapter of the debate that has been going on for some time. Milton friedman developed the idea of choice in his 1955 essay, the role of government in education. Policy, including our special s here tonight, developed these programs in the 1980s and 1990s. Why did 1900 people signed the Facebook Page to protest tonight . The controversy surrounding this forum reflects a large and profound division in american politics and society today. This country is more divided now than it has been in many decades. Many people on all sides feel fearful and deeply threatened. For educators, this is an especially sad moment. It has made many people stop listening to each other. In this time, what we need most is to listen and understand one another, instead of circling the wagons. The Kennedy School is all about understanding differences and building bridges. Creating an inclusive space now is especially difficult. Many people from all sides would rather shut each other down, rather than hear what one another are saying. I am sure many people have followed the controversy over Colin Kaepernick and other nfl players. What are they saying . From the farms of virginia to , theields of philadelphia ideal that we are all created equal is the deepest of american aspirations. These americans in silently kneeling remind our fellow citizens how we are falling short of that ideal because some of us are imprisoned or killed at much higher rates than others, yet many viewed their very speech as on american. Many people on the left side of the political spectrum also feel fear and threats that prevents them from listening to other views. A disturbing series of recent studentse have seen and activists shut down conservative speakers a several College Campuses over the past year. Shutting people down is contrary to the values of this space and the Harvard Kennedy school. We encourage the exchange of ideas and different viewpoints, even if we do not agree especially if we do not agree it is important to hear and allow others in attendance to well. And speak as the practice of our forum enact these principles by giving airkers the authority to their views. People in this audience, will, as they always do here, have an opportunity to ask questions in the last portion of tonights event. I will ask the Harvard University police to escort anyone from the forum anyone who insists upon preventing others from speaking or hearing by disrupting this event. That is because our practice of dialogue and debate is critical. When you prevent others from beginning or hearing disagreeable views or when you yourself refuse to be challenged by those who disagree, it means that you are so sure that you are right and so sure that they nothingg that you have to learn from them. But on an issue like School Choice, how can anyone be so sure of themselves . When we look back years from now, we might see School Choice as a salvation for disadvantaged learners in dorchester, the southside of chicago, or detroit michigan, a salvation that enables them to escape Failing Schools and seize the opportunity for a better life. School choice might enable educators to create the widest array of opportunities and pedagogy is for students. On the other hand, we may come to see that School Choice became a way to fleece the public and toloit uninformed parents send their children to ineffective private schools while enriching the operators of those schools. Still worse, we may come to see School Choice as a misguided effort to abandon the dreams of Thomas Jefferson or horace mann for a system of Common Schools in which americans from all backgrounds, high and low born, learn how to be citizens of a successful republic together. I do not presume to know how the future will judge us on this question or so many others. I do think that looking at the evidence will help us all reach a better future. Evidence about what kinds of public, charter, and private school arrangements actually work. We will explore these and other questions about education with our distinguished colleague and special guest tonight. Professor Paul Peterson is the Henry Lee Shattuck professor of government and director at Harvard University. He is a member of the distinguished Academy American academy of arts and sciences and the National Academy of education. E has written many, many books Elizabeth Devos has been is the 11th secretary of education of the united states. She has been involved in education and policy for more than 30 years in her home state of michigan and nationwide. In an interview with the philanthropy roundtable, she recounted how she first got engaged with education in a visit to Potters HouseChristian School in grand rapids, where she saw a school that had managed to create a safe, warm, and rich learning environment for many low income children. She started helping many lowincome children with their tuition and in supporting school in itself, which her family still does. The effort grew into a larger to provideic effort a scholarship fund. Then, she pursued his commitment working to pass , michigans First Charter School law in 1993. She seeks to transform Education Systems to provided such choices for parents and students. Her advocacy of School Choice has drawn fierce criticism. The New York Times wrote it is hard to find anyone more passionate about steering public dollars away from traditional Public Schools than betsy devos. Her confirmation could not have been closer. It was split 50 50 with Vice President pence breaking the tie. We have a lot to talk about. I will be returning a bit later to moderate the question and answer. Please welcome professor Paul Peterson and secretary Elizabeth Devos. [applause] sec. Devos thank you for that kind introduction. Thank you for the opportunity to gemsre, truly one of the not just of harvard but of all of american postsecondary education. Professor peterson, i first want to recognize the significance and influential contributions to the advancement of School Choice you have made over the years. Few scholars have left such indelible fingerprints on this critical conversation. Thank you for continuing to facilitate that dialogue. And a special thanks to the president of harvard as they prepare for their next steps. I wish her nothing but the best. In cambridge, there are many great people working on many great ideas to better the lives of all americans and people across the globe. That has been the case for a very long time. Graduates have gone on to shape culture and society, create new businesses and technologies, help cure diseases, and lead governments around the globe. It is a privilege to be here. I dont want to talk about my age. President kennedy is the first president i can personally remember. I cant say i remember all that much. I do know that president kennedy understood the proper role of the state, and once warned that, every time we try to shift that problem to the hands of the government, we are sacrificing the liberties of our people. President kennedy had it right. Despite the fact that we have all too often disregarded his observation, he is still right today. One of the pernicious effects of the growth of government is that people worry less about each other. Thinking their worries are in the hands of socalled experts in washington. There is no better example than our current Education System. Many inside and outside of government insists the government system is best equipped to educate children. In that fantasy scenario, the state replaces the family. The school house becomes the home, and the child becomes the constituent. Not long ago, the American Federation for teachers tweeted at me. The union wrote betsy devos says public should invest in individual students. No, we should invest in a system of great Public Schools for all kids. The union bosses made it clear they care more about a system, one created in the 1800s, than they do about students. Their focus is on School Buildings instead of school kids. Isnt education supposed to be about kids . Education is an investment in individual students. That is why funding and focus should follow the students. Not the other way around. I have been on the job for some time. I came into office with a core belief it is the inalienable right and responsibility of parents to choose the learning environment that best meets their childs unique needs. I am more convinced of that today. This symposium rightly asks us to consider the future of School Choice. The current reality is, the vast majority of futures in America Today are left to chance, not to choice. The world got to see what many less new in the film waiting for superman. Parents who want to freak their free their child from a Failing School are sometimes allowed by the system to enter a lottery for a few seats in a different school. Even today, thousands of children vie for limited openings. The students are numbered and a representative of plastic balls rolling around in a cage. As if children were part of a bingo game. I suggest that citizens who are any sycophant of the system or skeptic of choice visit one of these lotteries. Watch the faces of these parents, many of whom are struggling to get by every day. Watch their faces hidden in their hands or covered in tears because they didnt win a new future for their son or daughter. This scene is heartwrenching. And it is downright disgraceful. Childrens futures arent too be gambled. There are too many kids are trapped in a school that doesnt meet their needs. Too many parents are denied the fundamental right to decide the best way to educate their child. It is what makes me so passionate about changing this paradigm once and for all. I have been called the School Choice secretary by some. I think it is meant as an insult, but i wear it as a badge of honor. Lets talk for a minute about what choice really is. School choice. Defenders of the system would have you believe it means thou to. They say it means private or religious schools. It means forprofit schools. Taking money from Public Schools. No accountability or standards. The wild west. The market run amok. Well, ive got to give it to them. They have done a mighty fine job of setting the same for that house of horrors in the press. They did so by trying to paint an indelible line, forcing a false dichotomy. If you support giving parents any option, any say, you must therefore be diametrically opposed to Public Schools, Public School teachers, and Public School students. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. Think about food. Yes, food. A good time to think about it since it is just about dinnertime. Like education, we all need food to grow and thrive, but we do not all want or need the exact same thing at the exact same time. What tastes good to me may not taste good to you. What is working for me right now might not work a few years from now. Accordingly, we choose how to best get the food that meets our unique needs. Think about how unique. You could visit a Grocery Store or Convenience Store or a Farmers Market to buy food and cook at home. Or you could visit a restaurant. Maybe a sitdown place. Maybe a fast food joint. Maybe a hybrid that combines the best of both. New the department of education, there arent many restaurants , but you know what . Food trucks started lining the streets to provide options. Some are better than others. Some are even local restaurants that have added food trucks to their businesses to better meet their customers needs. If you visit one of those food trucks instead of a restaurant, do you hate restaurants . Are you trying to put Grocery Stores out of business . No, you are simply making the right choice for you, based on your individual needs at the time. Just as in how you eat, education is not a binary choice. Ba being for equal access and opportunity, being for choice, is not being against anything. I am not against anyone type or one brand or one breed of School Choice. I am not for any type of school over another. But the definitions we have traditionally worked from have become tools that divide us. Isnt the public made up of students and parents . Isnt public money really their money . Taxpayer money . And doesnt every school came aim to serve a public good . A school that prepares students to lead successful lives is a benefit to all of us. The definition of Public Education should be to educate the public. That is why we should fight less about the word that comes before school. I suspect all of you here at harvard will take your education and contribute to the public good. When you chose to attend harvard, did anyone suggest you were against public universities . No. You and your family figured out which education environment would be the best fit for you. You compared options and made an informed decision. No one seems to criticize that choice. No one thinks choice and Higher Education is wrong. Why is it wrong in elementary, middle, or high school . Instead of dividing the public when it comes to education, the focus should be on the ends, not on the means. We should be for students. All students. That is why i am for having the for parents having access to the learning environment that is the right fit for their childs. I believe in students and trust parents. With that understanding of choice, what does the future look like . I am not a creature of washington. So im not afraid to say this we do not know what the future of School Choice looks like. That is not only something with which i am ok, it is something i celebrate. The future of choice should be whatever parents want for their children. The future of choice relies upon parents being empowered to make choices for their children. What this looks like for one family in a wyoming, will be different from what and indiana family decides. In fact, what choice looks like for one child may be different than what it looks like for his or her own sibling. States are different. Families are dynamic, and children are unique. Each should be free to pursue different avenues that lead each child to his or her fullest future. That is why i wholeheartedly believe the future of choice does not begin with a new federal mandate. That may sound counterintuitive. Coming from the u. S. Secretary of education, but after eight months in washington and three decades working in states, i know if washington tries to will endhoice, all we up is a mountain of mediocrity, a surge of spending, and a bloat of bureaucracy to go along with it, but washington does have an Important Role to play in the future of choice. We can amplify the voice of those who only want better for their kids. We can assist states who are working to further empower parents and urge those who have not. We dont need a federal program to administer. Washington and the u. S. Department of Education Needs to get out of the way. Thats because the real future of choice is in states. It is their future to shape. And its already under way today. I recently went on a tour of the heartland to visit teachers, students who are shaping their own future. We call this the rethink school tours, because i wanted to highlight and learn from innovative educators who were breaking free of the standard mold to better meet the needs of students. What i saw was encouraging traditional Public Schools, charter Public Schools, independent private schools, parochial schools, homeschools, even a high school at a zoo. They were all different, all with unique approaches. What they all had in common was just that, a deliberate focus on serving students. Students and parents chose them. What worked in those schools for those students might not work everywhere. It might not work for you. But it worked for them. That is the future of School Choice. There was another common characteristic these very diverse schools shared they all embraced doing right by students, without anyone in washington giving them a permission slip to do so. Or more importantly, without anyone in washington telling them no. That is also the future of choice. Just as no one school, regardless of its rigor, is the right fit for every student, there is no onesizefitsall approach from washington, d. C. , or any state capital when it comes to education. The future of choice lies in the states, in places that have been at the forefront of this effort for several years. Like arizona, florida, indiana, wisconsin. And in places that are just now entering the arena like arkansas, mississippi, montana. And even where some might have thought unthinkable, illinois. Today, 26 states and the district of columbia offer more than 50 different private School Choice programs that allow parents more opportunity to access more Educational Options to serve their kids needs. While there are similarities, no two are the same. Different states, different needs, different students, for different solutions. That is the future of choice. It is important for all of us to remember that we are not just talking about abstract theory or some wild social experiment. This is about putting people, putting parents and students above policies and politics. I have seen the tremendous impact of empowering parents and the corresponding impact on students of close and in person. I saw it again on my rethink school tour. Ive heard it directly from the students, parents, teachers, and administrators i had the privilege to meet. One student at kansas city academy, a private, artfocused high school, put it quite bluntly. Ca, i feel like i fit in. I feel like i belong. I didnt have that at my other school. Every student in america deserves a shot to experience that same thing. And have no doubt this isnt just about feelings. It is also about learning and achievement. It is about putting students at the center of everything we do. Time and time again, studies have shown that more options yield better results for all students. Just yesterday, a new study was released at the urban institute that looked at floridas tax credit scholarship program, a program that provides low income parents the opportunity to send their students to the school of their choice. Floridas program was one of the first in the nation and serves more than 100,000 students across the state today. While previous studies have shown increased achievement for Scholarship Recipients and a , the study also found a significantly increased college of tenant rate. Further this study demonstrated , the longer a student participated in the choice program, the better their longterm educational outcomes. The data are encouraging. I didnt need another Research Paper to know the program works. I have seen living proof. A student failed third grade twice. She was on the path to dropping out, just like her mother had and her brother had before her. Thankfully, her godmother found the florida tax credit scholarship program, and a small school that fit her needs. She told me that a week or 10 days into attending that school, she knew she had found a fit and was on her way to thriving. She graduated high school. The first in her family to do so. Graduated college. Just this may, earned her masters degree. She is living proof that choice works. There are many more students like her out there. Hundreds of thousands who dont have those same opportunities. I firmly believe we as a nation stand at a crossroads. Nearly everyone agrees what we are now is not working. The data are quite clear in confirming that. We are in the middle of the pack at best compared to other nations. Middle. Average. Those arent words with which i am comfortable describing the united states. It is not the future we should feel comfortable offering anyone, so what do we do . What does the future hold . More funding . Does that fix the problem . Again, the data would show otherwise. With the u. S. Spending significantly more per pupil [jeers] again the data would show , otherwise. With the u. S. Spending significantly more per pupil than nearly every other developed country in the world and without the improvement to go along with it. We can keep doing what were doing for generations and expecting different results. That is, as we know, the definition of insanity. Or we can do something different. We can be bold. We can be unafraid. We can choose to do what is right, not because it is easy, but because it is hard. Many thought kennedys words were merely a dream. Some even thought they were dangerous. His vision and determination made them a reality. That is the reality we still reap the benefits from. If we can put a man on the moon, surely we can put families in charge of their own destinies. We can rethink school. I posit we do that by embracing the future of education as one that fully integrates choice into every decision. Not choice translated as vouchers or Charter Schools or private schools, or any other specified delivery mechanism. No, choice translated as giving every parent in this great land more control, more of a say in their childs future. More choices. The future of choice lies in trusting and empowering parents. All parents. Not just those who have the power, prestige, or financial wherewithal to make choices. No more choice for me, but not for thee, from politicians in washington or state houses. The future of choice lies in caring less about the word that comes before school, and more about the individual student the school seeks to serve. The future of choice lies and in funding and supporting individual students, not systems or buildings. The future of choice lies and in allowing students to progress at their own pace, to take charge of their learning, in recognizing them as unique individuals that they are. The future of choice lies in embracing learning that fosters creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. Traits that prepare students for further education and for lifelong learning. The future of choice lies in recognizing america, the greatest country in the history of mankind, can and must do better for our students. All of them. Because we must do better for our future. Our children are 100 of our future. They deserve 100 of our efforts. Thank you again for the opportunity to share my thoughts , and i look forward to our conversation. [applause] madam secretary, thank you very much for joining us at harvard. It is very gracious of you to come. It is an honor to have you in our midst. You have focused so much of your time and energy over the years on education and i know that is an important thing, but some people say that unless we address the problems of poverty and malnourishment, among so many children, education is not going to have a chance. So shouldnt those problems be given priority . Secretary devos that is a really good question. I think, obviously, when we talk about individual children and supporting individual children, education,eyond just but my priority has been and my focus has been on offering opportunities for all children to have a great education and i am a Firm Believer that if all parents are empowered with those opportunities we will see some significant changes in opportunity in general for those have really faced generational poverty and who have not felt opportunity in our country. I believe this is the biggest barrier to opportunity ultimately is the lack of access to and the opportunity to choose the kind of education that works for their child. Some people say we have districts in the country and people can move to the community of their choice and they can choose their school by choosing the neighborhood in which they choose to live. Dont we already have School Choice . Secretary devos unfortunately, many families do not have that opportunity. They are stuck in the school to which they are assigned and they do not have the opportunity of moving somewhere else. I have heard many stories from families who wish they could send their child to a school other than the one to which they are assigned and they do not have the economic means to make that decision. If they are empowered with choice, if they are empowered with the funds for their child to choose a school that will work, they will have opportunities that will be well beyond the ones that are right there in their assigned district. I understand this broadens choice to people without means , but arent some parents that better equipped to make those choices, more skilled, can figure out how to navigate through a choice system . They takent advantage of that opportunity at the expense of others . Secretary devos i have met a lot of parents over the years that i have been working on this, and i think it is an insult to parents to suggest they cannot figure these things out. It is an insult to parents from low income situations that suggests because of their Economic Situation figure things their Economic Situation, they therefore cannot figure things out or do not care. I think it is an insult, and i have never seen a parent that does not really truly love their child and what more for their child. The young woman i referred to, in her case, her mother was not capable of making a decision but thankfully, she had a godmother in her life who cared about her and who found a better option for her. She is a living example of what a difference an opportunity like that can make. One of the arguments we here in massachusetts especially, last year in the election campaign, was that if you expand Charter Schools and do give parents some choice, you will be taking money away from the Public Schools run by the district. What is your take on that . Secretary devos i am trying to make the argument that we should be focused on funding students, not funding buildings or systems. If students are empowered to go to a place that will work for them, those environments are going to form up in support of students, and i think we get really hung up on what word comes before school and we do not think about the fact that we are talking about kids lives while we are arguing about systems and approaches to education that have worked for some but they are not working for all too many. My view is empower parents to make those choices and the schools will the schools that are not able to keep kids attracted to their school, they will start to make the changes as a result. We have seen that in florida where there is the widest range of choices and in the district s where the greatest number of choices exist and students go to a wide variety of schools, the traditional Public Schools have improved as a result. I think we would see that ubiquitously. But again, i think this is a matter for states primarily to deal with and focus on. How rapidly should we expand our choice system . Is there a pace that you think is the right pace . It has been very slow until now. Secretary devos yesterday would be good. We are losing thousands and thousands of kids every year and we cannot wait any longer. We really cannot wait any longer. We have been doing things the same way and expecting different results for more than a couple of decades. This country was built on creative entrepreneurial risktaking people and education is ripe for those types of people to grab hold and self solve problems and meet the needs of students. , i rethink schools tour went to all kinds of schools, and they were focused on meeting the needs of specific kids. Wey were very open to saying are not for everybody and we do not expect everybody to want to come here. I think all schools should have that attitude and be focused on really rethinking how they can. Eet their students needs you think of technology and creating blended learning programs . Is this a force to disrupt the system in a major way . Secretary devos Technology Holds great potential. I have seen places where it has not been introduced particularly well, where it has been kind of bandaided on top of something. That is probably not the right answer, but again, i think we need to have a lot of different approaches be able to take root and see what ultimately will work for the most kids and that is not to suggest that moving from where we are today that we should move to another scenario where it is very much the same, only in a different approach or format. I happen to think that personalized learning and masterybased competency holds great promise. That might work for a lot of kids but it might not work for everybody. We should not expect that everybody is going to learn in the future the same way. You mentioned in your remarks that Florida Tax Credit Program has been identified as quite successful in getting kids to college. I like that because it was my students who did that study. I have to confess that. [laughter] so thank you for that. Secretary devos i was pleased to see it come out. But there has been a lot of talk about a federal Tax Credit Program. Are you going to announce the unveiling of a Tax Credit Program today . Secretary devos not here and not now. Is there hope we can see this coming down the track . Secretary devos there is a lot of hope for that. But as i said, if we go with a federal tax credit approach, we need to ensure that it is not one that is going to create a whole other bureaucracy to administer. I again believe that states are best equipped and best positioned to address the broadest range of choice on a state and individual state level. I think it is great to see states taking this on in different and creative ways. I would just hope that more states would embrace this notion and the ones that have it would expand their offering and get more, even more assertive about offering parents more of these choices. I appreciate the fact that state and local governments are primarily responsible for our schools but there is some federal role. We do have a department of education. What would you say are the accomplishments you have been able to realize i know it has been only eight months into your term, but can you sum up what you think are the most important things that have been done . Secretary devos obviously, the implementation of the every Student Succeeds act that Congress Passed this last term is an important part of the responsibility of the department. The intention of that bill was to return a lot of flexibility to the states and allow the states to become more creative in their approaches to meeting the students needs there. That process is under way. We have 35 or seven more states with plans to approve. That part of the k12 focus at the department. We have been reviewing and in some cases either pausing or starting a new rulemaking process on a number of regulations related to Higher Education. That process is ongoing. We are also in the midst of a very big review of the department in general. To look for ways to streamline and make more effective and efficient the work of the department and to also review all of the regulations, every administration there is more on more regulations piled and very few times do you take a step back and say what is really relevant and what is necessary today . We are committed to devasting of divesting of as many of those as we possibly can. With respect to the every Student Succeeds act which was passed in 2015, they asked for measuring something other than test scores. That is one of the things that Congress Wants and an idea that has come up is lets look at chronic absenteeism. What is your thinking on that measure . Secretary devos all the states are coming up with different measures. I think that is an interesting approach. I am not sure if that is the right approach or best approach, but i will withhold judgment and see what the state results are. Another thing to remember is these plans are words on paper. The real proof is going to be in how they actually implement things. A lot of the creativity or a lot of the flexibility that congress intentionally built into the law will come in the implementation of these plans in the states. One of my goals is to continue to really urge and encourage states to press things as far as they possibly can, take what opportunity you have and lets switch from being a compliance mentality which has been the case over the last decade or two and into one that takes more ownership around your education in the state for which you are responsible. These are all fascinating comments that you have, but i think i better turn the conversation over to others. Thank you very much. I know a lot of people have questions to ask and there are four microphones as per the usual forum drill scattered around and let me remind everyone in the room of the importance of discourse and exchange and civility and most important, allowing everyone to fully participate in this question and answer period, both listening, hearing, and speaking, and the rules of the forum question and answer are designed to do that. The first rule is please identify yourself, the second is ask a question that is compact , and im brief afraid i will have to cut off anything like a lengthy statement and questions and with questions end with a question mark and the rule is one per customer, one question per person. Hello. I am actually a parent here i do not know how many parents there are in this room. I have children who have been in district schools, Charter Schools, and parochial schools. I think all systems can work for us, but i think as a whole, most systems are not working for us and not working for black parents like me, it is not working for parents who are not rich. Im going to assume you have good intentions. I think that there should be some rules from our federal government to make sure systems are working for us because they have never worked for our people. Why dont you think you should have any say or control over setting minimums of what that should look like, the systems are not the wild west and the systems popping up are not serving our people. What is the role of the what is the role of the government for setting rails to make sure it is functioning for everyone . Secretary devos let me thank you for asking that question and it is great to hear about the fact that you had experience with different schools. How many kids do you have . I have three. Secretary devos what grades are they in . I have a twoyearold son. I have an 11yearold and a 14yearold. Secretary devos great. Michael, my hope my goal, my hope is that parents like you and all others would have the power to be able to choose a school that is right for your child, to have the funds that go to your child, traditionally today that go to a system rather than being directed, being able to be directed by you. You would be able to say this school is not working for my kid today, and i am going to find one that is working better. Accompanying that, there has to be a lot of great Information Available to parents to be able to know, first of all, what is the schools approach to teaching and learning, and secondly, what are the results . How are kids doing who go here . And all of that information i think first and foremost needs to be transparent to parents, that would help inform your decision. It starts with you being empowered to make that choice and that decision for your child. I guarantee in this audience we have lots of families, representatives from lots of families are able to make those decisions because they had the economic means to do it. It is not right for some people to be able to choose and you not to be able to and yet we spend more and more money funneling through a system that tries to tell you we are going to do better next year and then it doesnt. Thank you. [inaudible] secretary devos i love to talk to parents. Hi there. Find a senior at the college but i have been lucky enough to take a class with professor peterson on education policy here at the Kennedy School. We looked at a large party of Academic Research that shows the effectiveness of School Choice programs and vouchers and Charter Schools. However traditional Public Schools are still very much falling behind. How do we bring that accountability and transparency, and choice we have seen with Charter Schools and vouchers and apply it to traditional Public Schools, and what role does the federal government play in making that transition . Secretary devos nice to meet you. First of all, every Student Succeeds act will bring more information to individuals. Schools will have to report more information to parents. That is a good step. But i think we have to go much further in many cases. Again, i will refer back to the school tour that i did a couple of weeks ago where schools have what they have done before and have taken have considered the student population they have and have readdressed their approach to helping students learn. The first school i went to was in casper, wyoming. It is a traditional Public School. The county that casper is in has open district choice. They do not have any private School Choice there, yet, but they has open district choice. The school has been run by teachers for 26 years and just within the last few years, they switched to a masterybased competency approach to teaching and learning in the school. And they did so without anyone else telling them they had to do that. They as a community decided that was right for the students they were serving. The kids are thrilled. I loved visiting with them. If i had that opportunity when i was in school, there are a few others in here who could move as fast as you were able to in whatever subject or take as long as you needed in another subject i think that kind of an approach could have some revolutionary results for a lot of kids who are either getting bored to death or getting left behind. I would challenge all schools, all existing schools today to look seriously at some of these new approaches to making sure kids are engaged and their curiosity is not snuffed out by the time they are in fourth or fifth grade. Thank you. Up here in the balcony. Hi secretary devos. I am a masters fellow in the program on education policy and governance, and i am also a dual degree candidate here and at harvard law school. Before this, i was a teacher in district and Charter Schools. As an educator, as a country, we have a great that keeping kids safe in school is one of our prime values. Making sure that every kid who walks into school at the beginning of the day leaves happy, healthy, and physically and emotionally safe. Many of the policies your administration has passed makes educators such as myself feel that we have fewer tools in the toolbox toward keeping safe in the classroom. Whether that is keeping trans students safe or repealing title ix protections that exit difficult for Sexual Assault victims. [applause] protectinger that is families from predatory forprofit schools for loan unemployment and graduation rates. [applause] and so can you talk about about how your administration thinks safety for all kids, especially the most vulnerable kids, when you are thinking about passing or repealing policies. Thank you very much. Secretary devos let me say first and foremost, i agree that one of the most important things we can do is ensure all kids have a safe and learning nurturing environment and i am committed to that, and i know everyone in the department of education and the administration is committed to that too. The policy that you have referred to or some of the regulations that you have referred to, i think often with these issues, we Start Talking past one another instead of talking about the issue itself. With respect to the transgender bathroom guidance, as you know, the whole legal history on that issue is very complicated, difficult, unclear, and uncertain. Lets just say that with respect to any student that feels unsafe or discredited against in their school, that is the last thing we want, and the office for civil rights at the department of education continues to hear and work with the schools that have any of those issues to deal with. We are committed to doing that on behalf of the students, any student that has any issue of that they feel is discriminatory. We are committed to continuing to do that. With respect to the title ix Sexual Assault on campus issue, as you know, we have taken steps to start a rulemaking process that is going to go about this in the right way. I credit the former administration for having raised the issue of campus Sexual Assault to a level where we are talking, it is not an issue that we are sweeping under the rug or putting into the back room of a College Administration building. It should not the that way. I have said it before, i will say it again. One Sexual Assault is one too many. By the same token, one student that is denied due process is one too many. We need to ensure that that policy and that framework is fair to all students. All students. We are committed to doing that. One more question. Im a masters in Public Administration student here at the Kennedy School. You are a billionaire with lots of investments. And the socalled School Choice movement is a way to open the floodgates for corporate interests the floodgates for interests to make money off the backs of students. How much do you expect your net worth to increase as a result of your policy choices . And what are your friends on wall street and the Business World like the koch others saying about the potential to get rich off the backs of students . You can choose not to answer that, secretary. Secretary devos i have been involved with Education Choice for 30 years. I have written lots of checks to support giving parents and kids options to choose a school of their choice. The balance on my income has on the other way and will continue to do so. I am committed to ensuring every child, every child has the opportunity to get an equal opportunity to get a great education. That means every child. Not rich kids. Not kids whose parents are politicians and can get them into the right school under the right circumstances. Every kid. Are you suggesting i am sorry, one per customer. So ie almost out of time will do a lightning round of three more questions, 30 seconds each, and the secretary can choose to answer the ones she wants to deal with. [booing] three rounds. I am sorry, the event is scheduled to go on till 7 00 a. M. And she has got to go. I will remain for as long as you want to talk. [laughter] i dont know, but we have time for a lightning round of three questions, very brief, beginning with you. Hi secretary devos. Thank you very much for being here tonight. I am caroline, a student at harvard law school. As a graduate of m. I. T. , i truly believe in the power of Stem Education to prepare the rising generation for myriad careers. I am aware of your departments announcements of millions of dollars to support Stem Education. Madam secretary, how can that investment interpersonal involvement ensure that more young people and specifically young women pursue careers in stem . A stem question. I will collect two more. I am a First Year Student and a former High School Math teacher in new orleans. What steps will you take that schools receive the support they need to raise the bar for the dont or cant leave . Dont or cant leave . About funds and low income communities and schools. I a senior at the college and am i am from grand rapids, michigan. My question relates to michigan. You mentioned taxpayer dollars belong to the taxpayers and individual families. Thanks in part to your advocacy in michigan, we lead the nation in forprofit schools. Paired with some of the weakest accountability laws. A 2014 review of michigan Charter Schools in the detroit area found widespread wasteful spending, corruption, poor student performance, and little progress at the expense of students with corporate profiting. Given the fact that in michigan, students have a lot of choice , but not good choices, and corporations are profiting from that, why do you think that choice is appropriate for the nation . [applause] secretary devos i will go with Charter Schools first. First of all, of the students that are still left in the city of detroit, 49 of them [ booing] secretary devos excuse me. Everyone who has had means and wants to has moved out of the city of detroit. City of detroit. The students that are there, 49 have chosen to go to Charter Schools. No one is forcing them to go to Charter Schools. Of the traditional Public Schools in detroit, not one of them has ever been closed down because of performance. Not one. Charter schools. Of the traditional public yet there have been over 20 Charter Schools closed. I just cite those statistics and ask you to think about that. Is there room for improvement . Absolutely. Ask you to think about that. Thes going to Charter School in michigan and in the city of detroit, they are gaining three or four months more per year over their Public School counterparts. So there is a difference. It was a choice thing. Stem, great for young women to be encouraged to pursue stem related careers and with a special emphasis on computer science, which has not traditionally been discussed as part of stem more broadly. We are looking forward to rolling out an opportunity for young kids to get more opportunities to be exposed to and engaged in stem subjects and particularly young girls because science is cool and math is cool and we need to make sure that they understand that and know the opportunities for the longterm. Thank you very much. [applause] i want to take a minute and close the evening. I have been too many forum eve nts. In this one, there has been the most strongly held and widely held set of views that ive experienced in a forum. I think in a context like that, conversations like we just had our very difficult. We did a reasonable and good job of allowing this exchange. I want to thank secretary devos. Held set ofyou have a lot of poa lot of courage. Thank you for coming here. Thank you to professor peterson for an extremely engaging conversation on one of the most important policy topics there is , which is how to educate our next generation. Thank you very much. [applause] the white house announced health and Human Services secretary tom price has resigned. I resignation reads in part spent four years as a doctor and Public Servant putting people first. I regret recent events have created a distraction. The white house said effective tonight Deputy Assistant don wright will serve as acting hhs secretary. Interior secretary ryan zinke the talked about the Trump Administration policies aimed at increasing Domestic Energy production. He addressed reports he had taken multiple trips in private planes and air travel since becoming secretary. Posted by the heritage foundation, this is just over 30 minutes