, snapping their fingers, and raising banners. She later to questions from the audience. This is just over an hour. [applause] good evening, im academic dean of the kennedy does Harvard Kennedy school. We have a 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 cash dollars to choose whether to send their children to Public Schools, charter, or private . This is a debate that has been going on for some time. Milton freedom identified developed the idea of choice. Policy, including our special these programsed into experiments in the 1980s and 1990s. Given that this debate has been going on for more than 60 years, why did 1900 people signed the Facebook Page to protests tonight event . Event . Rotest tonights and represents the conflict in American Society and politics. The country is more divided 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 because it has made many people stop. Istening to each other in this time of division what we need most is to listen and understand one another instead of circling the wagons into our own echo chambers. The Kennedy School is all about understanding differences in building bridges, but creating an inclusive space now is especially difficult because many people from all sides would rather shut each other down rather than hear what one another are saying. I am sure that many people have followed the controversy over Colin Kaepernick and other nfl players and staff who have been doing during the national anthem. What are they saying . From the farms of virginia to , theields of gettysburg idea that we are all created equal is the deepest of american aspirations. These americans, in silently kneeling, remind us how we are falling short of that ideal as some of us are imprisoned or killed at much higher rates than others. Yet any view their speech as unamerican. Many people on the left side of this political spectrum are feeling fear and threat that prevents them from listening to other views. In a disturbing series of recent seen studentse and activists shut down conservative speakers at College Campuses over the past year. That 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 to listen and speak as well. The practice of our forum and ask these principles by giving speakers the opportunity to articulate their views and insisting they take questions from you, the audience. They will, as they always do here, have the opportunity to ask questions. I will ask the Harvard University police to escort from the forum anyone who prevents others from speaking or hear him by disrupting dish or hearing by disrupting hearing or by disrupting this event. When you refuse to be challenged by those who disagree, it means that you are so sure you are right, and so sure they are wrong that you have nothing 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 is a salvation for disadvantaged learners in the southside of chicago or detroit, michigan, the salvation that enables them to escape Failing Schools and seize the opportunity for a good life. It might create the opportunity for educators and pedagogy is for students. We may come to see that School Choice became a way to fleece the public and exploit uninformed parents who send their children to an effective private schools while enriching the operators of those schools. Still worse, we may come to see School Choice is a misguided effort to abandon the dreams of Thomas Jefferson and horace mann for a system of schools in which americans of all backgrounds learn how to be citizens of a successor of a public together. Together. Epublic i do not pretend to know how the future will judge us. I think looking at the evidence will help us reach a better kinde, evidence about what of traditional public charter and private school arrangements work. We will explore these and other questions about education with our distinguished colleague and guest tonight. Of director on the Program Education at Harvard University. Senior editor of education next. He is a member of the distinguished American Academy of arts and sciences, and the National Academy of education. He has written many books. Limits, a pathbreaking Elizabeth Devos has been involved in policy in more than 30 years in her home state of michigan and nationwide. In an interview she recounted how she first got engaged with educated education issues with a visit to Potters House christian school. She saw a school that managed to create a rich, warm, welcoming education environment for many children. Low income children. This effort grew into a larger philanthropic effort to provide a scholarship fund. She pursued this commitment to choice in the Public Policy domain working to pass michigans First Charter School law in 1993. Then as now she seeks to transform Education Systems to provide such choices for parents and students more broadly. Her fears advocacy of School Choice has drawn equally fierce criticism. Is New York Times wrote it hard to find anyone more passionate about the idea of stealing public dollars away from Public Schools then betsy devos. Her confirmation vote could not have been closer. It was split 50 50, with Vice President pence breaking the tie. We have a lot to talk about an controversy all issues. I will be returning later to moderate the question and answer pleasebut for now, welcome professor Paul Peterson and secretary Elizabeth Devos. [applause] sec. Devos thank you, for that kind introduction. Thank you for the opportunity to be at the Kennedy School, truly one of the gems not just of harvard but all of americas post secondary education. I look forward to our conversation but i first want to recognize the significance and contributions to the advancement of School Choice you have made over the years. Program onh the education policy and governance in harvard and education next, few scholars have left indelible fingerprints on this conversation. Thank you for continuing to facilitate that dialogue. A special thanks to president tost for her dedication leadership at one of the finest institutions of higher learning. As she and harvard repair for their next steps, i wish her the best. In cambridge, there are many great people working on great ideas to better the lives of americans and people across the globe. Your graduates have gone on to shape culture and society, create new businesses and new diseases andcure lead governments at all levels around the globe. It is a privilege to be at the Kennedy School. I do not want to talk about my age, but taught president john f. Kennedy is the first president i can remember, although i cannot remember that much. I know president kennedy understood the proper role of the state and once warned that every time we try to lift a problem from our own shoulders and shift that to the are sacrig the liberties of our people. President kennedy had it right then this bite fact that we have all too often disregarded his observation, he is still right today. Permissions pernicious effects of the growth of government is that people worry less and less about each worries areng there now in the hands of others in washington. There is no better example than our current Education System. Many inside and outside of government insist the government system is best equipped to educate children. In that fantasy scenario, the state replaces the family, the schoolhouse becomes the home and the child becomes the constituent. Too long ago the American Federation for teachers tweeted at me. The union wrote betsy devos says public should invest in individual students. A systemould invest in of great Public Schools for all kids. The union bosses made it clear. ,hey care more about a system one that was 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 student, not the other way around. Ive 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 individual needs. I am more convinced of that today. This imposing rightly asks us to consider the future of School Choice. The current reality is, the vast majority of futures in America Today are less to chance, they are left to chance, not to choice. The world got to see what many of us already knew in the film, waiting for superman. Parents who want to create a 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 by four limited openings. Vie for limited openings. As of children were part of a bingo game. Ofuggest that any sycophants 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 everyday. Inch their faces hidden their hands are covered in tears because they didnt win a new future for their son or daughter. This scene is heart wrenching and it is downright disgraceful. Childrens futures are not too began bold. There are too many kids trapped in a school that do not meet their needs. There are too many parents who are denied the fundamental right to decide what the best way to educate their child is. It is what makes me so passionate about changing this paradigm once and for all. Ive 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 moment about what choice really is. School choice. Defenders of the system would have you believe it means vouchers. Charter schools. They say means private schools or religious schools. Forprofit schools. Taking money from Public Schools. Standards,bility, no the wild west, the market run amok. I have to give it to them. They have done a fine job of setting the scene 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 students. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Think about food. Yes, food. Good time to think about it since it is just about dinnertime. We all need food to grow and thrive. But we dont all want or need these acts aim 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 you eat. You can 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. Neither the department of education there are not many restaurants. You know what . Food trucks started lining the to provide options. Some are better than others and some are local restaurants that have added food trucks to their businesses to better meet customers needs. If you visit one of those food trucks instead of a restaurant, do you hate restaurants . Or are you trying to put Grocery Stores out of business . No. Youre 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. Ng poor equal aspects access and opportunity, being for choices not being against anything. Against any one type, one brand, or one breed of School Choice. Im not for any type of school over another. The definitions we have traditionally worked from have become tools that divide us. Isnt the public made up of students and parents . Is a public money really their money . Taxpayers money . Doesnt every school and to serve a public good . A school that prepares its students to lead successful lives is a benefit to all of us. Publicinition of 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, a private school, will take your education and contribute to the public good. When you chose to attend harvard, did anyone suggest you are against public universities . No. Sat downour families and 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 in 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. I am for having parents having access to the learning environment that is the right fit for their child. I believe in students and i trust parents. With that understanding of choice, what does the future look like . I am not a creature of washington so i am not afraid to say this. We do not know what the future of School Choice looks like. That is not only something with which im ok, it is something i celebrate and embrace. Be future of choice should whatever parents want for their children. The future of choice relies upon parents being empowered to make choices for their children. For ones looks like family in wyoming will be different from what an indiana family decides. What choice looks like for one from his be different or her own siblings. 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 the future of choice does not begin with a federal mandate from washington. That might sound counterintuitive from some coming from the u. S. Secretary of education. After eight months in washington and three decades working in if washington tries to mandate choice, all we will end up with is a mountain of mediocrity, a surge of spending and a bloat of bureaucracy. Washington has an important supporting role to play in the future of choice. We can amplify the voices of those who only want better for statesids we can assist to empower parents and urge those who have not. We dont need a new federal program to administer. Washington and in particular the u. S. Department of education just needs to get out of the way. The real future of choice is in states. Ands their futures to shape it is already underway today. Thecently went on a tour of heartland to visits the teachers, parents, and students who are shaping their own futures. We called it the, rethink school for because i wanted to the rethink school tour because i wanted to understand education. Traditional Public Schools, Charter Schools, parochial schools, homeschools, even a high school at a zoo, they were all different. All with unique approaches. But they all had in common was just that. Servingrate focus on the students. Students and parents chose them. What worked and those schools for those students might not work everywhere. It might not work for you. It worked for them. That is the future of School Choice. There was another common characteristic these diverse schools shared. They all embraced doing right by the 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 quality or rigor is the right fit for every student, there is , onesizefitsall approach from washington dc 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. 26 states and the district of columbia offer more than 50 different private choice programs that allow parents more opportunity to access Educational Options to serve kids needs. While there are similarities, no two are the same. Different states, different needs, different students, different solutions. That is the future of choice. It is important for us to remember that we are not talking about abstract theory or some wild social experiment. Is about putting people, parents and students, above policies and politics. I have seen the tremendous impact of empowering parents and the corresponding impact on students up close and in person. I saw it again on my recent school tour. I heard it directly from the students, parents, teachers, administrators i had the privilege to me. One student kansas city academy, a private art focused High School Put it bluntly. A, i feel like i fit in. I feel like i belong. I did not have that at my other school. Every student in america deserves a shot to experience that same thing. Have no doubt, this is not just about feelings. It is also about learning and achievement. It is about putting students at the center of everything we do and time and time again, studies have shown that more options yield better results for all students. Yesterday, a new study was released by 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 today serves more than 100,000 students across the state. While previous studies have shown increased achievement for scholarship recipients, this study also found a significantly increased College Attendance rate. 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. Enisha meriwether failed thirdgrade 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. Denisha told me that merely 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, thisated college, and just may, earned her masters degree. She is living proof that choice works. There am anymore out there. More outare many there. Hundreds more who do not have those opportunities today. I believe we as a nation stand at a crossroads. Nearly everyone agrees, what we are doing now is not working and the data are clear in confirming that. We are in the middle of the pack , at best, compared to other nations. Middle, average. Those are not words with which im comfortable describing the united states. It is not the future we should feel comfortable offering denisha or anyone else. What do we do . What does the future hold . More funding . Does that fix the problem . [applause] the data would show otherwise. Again, the data would show otherwise. With the u. S. Spending significantly more per pupil than every other country in the developed world and without the student achievement to go along with it. Haven keep doing what we been doing for generations and keep 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 a train. Some even thought they were dangerous. And determination made them a reality. Many thought kennedys words were a dream. If we can put a man on the moon, be in charge of our childrens destinies. We do that by embracing the future of education as one that is fully integrating choice into every decision we make. Translated as vouchers or Charter Schools or private schools or any other specified delivery mechanism. Choice translated as giving every parent in this great land more control. More of a say in their childs future, more choices. In future of choice lies trusting and empowering parents. All parents. Who have thee power, prestige, or financial wherewithal to make choices. No more, choice for me but not for thee from politicians in washington or statehouses. The future of choice lies in word thats about the comes before school and more about the individual students serve. Hool seeks to supporting individual students. The future of choice lies in allowing students to progress at their own pace, to take charge of their learning and recognizing them as the unique individuals 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 or the workforce 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 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 an important question. When we talk about focusing individual children, issues go beyond just issues of education but my focus has been on offering opportunities for all children to have a great education and i am a Firm Believer that if parents are empowered with those opportunities we will see some significant changes in opportunity in general for those have 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 14,000 School 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, 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 are better equipped to make those choices, more skilled, can figure out how to navigate through a choice system, what wont they take 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 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 they therefore either cant figure things out or do not care about their children. I dont think there is any parent who has not loved their child. I think 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, if you expand Charter Schools and give parents a choice, you will be taking money away from the Public Schools, 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 format and supportive form up in support of students. I think we get hung up on what words come 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 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 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. Again i think, this is a matter for states to do with an 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. No seriously, 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 open to meeting the needs of kids and they were open to saying, we are not for everybody and we do not expect everyone to come here. All school should have that attitude and be focused and on rethinking how the can meet their students needs. Would you think of creating blended learning programs, introducing technology. 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 bandaided on top of something. That is not the right answer. 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 mastery 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. [laughter] i have to confess that. 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 . Secretary devos not here and not now. [laughter] 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 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. 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 . Ou te the most important things that have been done . Secretary devos obviously, the employee 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 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 underway, we have 35 or seven more states to with plans to approve. That is part of the case12 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 in the midst of a 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 regulations while don 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 many of those as we possibly can. 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. That is an interesting approach. I not sure if that is the right approach or test approach. I will withhold judgment and see what they states 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 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 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. Fascinating all comments that you have, but i think i better turn the others. Ation over to 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 importance of discourse and mostnge and civility and important, allowing everyone to fully participate in this question and answer period, 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 i will have to cut off anything like a lengthy statement and questions and with questions and with a question mark and the rule is one per customer, one question per person. Hello, i am 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. 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 [inaudible] why should 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 our not serving our people. 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 . Three. What grades are they in . I have a twoyearold, a and when in high school. [inaudible] secretary devos 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 they go to your child, traditionally today that go to a system rather than being directed, being able to be directed i you. You would be able to say this school is not working for my kids today and i 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 the schools is approach to teaching and learning and what are the results, how our 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. We have 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 need 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 does not. Thank you. [inaudible] to talky devos i love to parents. I have been lucky enough to take a class with professor peterson on education at the Kennedy School and we looked at Academic Research that shows the effectiveness of School Choice programs and vouchers and Charter Schools. How do we bring that accountability and transparency, and choice we have seen with Charter Schools and vouchers and apply it to 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. Nformation 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. I will refer back to the school tour that i did a couple of weeks ago where schools have thrown out with the have done before and have taken considered the student population they have and have readdressed their approach to helping students learn. The first school i went to was wyoming. , it is a traditional Public School. The county that casper is and has open district choice. They do not have any private School Choice there. Yet. That they have open district choice and 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. 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, 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 hind. 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. I am a masters fellow in the program on education policy and government and i am a dual degree candidate here and at Harvard Law School. Before this i was a teacher in district and Charter Schools. Have agreed, we 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, is physically and emotionally and safe. Makeof the policies educators such as myself feel that we have fewer tools in the toolbox toward keeping safe kids safe in the classroom. Whether that is keeping transfer ransents safe or ta students safe or repealing protection for students have been sexually assaulted. Can you talk about about how your administration thinks safety for all kids, especially the most vulnerable kids when you are thing 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 that and 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 issues, we Start Talking past one another instead of talking about the issue itself. Transgender to the bathroom guidance, as you know, the whole legal history on that issue is very complicated, difficult, unclear, and uncertain. With respecty that 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 in the permit of education continues to hear and work with the schools that have to dealhose issues with. We are committed to doing that on behalf of the students, any student that has any issue of just 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 go about thisto in the right way. I credit the former administration for having raise 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 the College Administration building. It should not the that way. I willsaid it before, 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 there to all students. All students. We are committed to doing that. One more question. In publicaster administration student. You are a billionaire with lots of investments. And the socalled School Choice movement is a way to open 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 in wall street and the Business World like the coat others saying about the potential to get rich off the backs of students . You can choose not to answer that, secretary. Have beendevos i involved with Education Choice for 30 years. I have written lots of checks to kidsrt giving parents and options to choose a school of their choice. On my income has on the other way and will continue to do so. 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. Parents arese politicians and can get them into the right school under the right circumstances. Every kid. Are you suggesting one at a time. I will do a lightning round. To secretary can choose answer the ones she wants to deal with. Three rounds. Ism sorry, the event 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. We have time for a lightning round of three questions, very brief, beginning with you. Thank you for being here tonight. I am caroline, a student at Harvard Law School created as a graduate of m. I. T. , i truly believe in the power of Stem Education to prepare the rising generation for marriott careers. I am aware of your departments announcements of millions of dollars to support Stem Education. How can that investment interpersonal involvement ensure that more young people and specifically young women pursue careers in stem . I will select two more. I am a First Year Student and a former High School Math teacher in new orleans. Child inoned every education is important. I share that view. My question is about the 1 billion of title i funds that you proposed to be portable to allow for more choice. What steps will you ensure that that pooro ensureto ensure schools will be helped . The third question and i will turn it over to the secretary. Im a senior at the college and 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 efficacy in michigan, we leave lead in nation in for promise forprofit schools. A review of michigan Charter Schools in the church rate area found widespread wasteful spending, poor student progressce, and little at the expense of students. 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] young people, women, Charter Schools. Secretary devos first of all, of the students that are still left in the city of detroit, 49 of them excuse me. Everyone who has had means and wants to has moved out of the city of detroit area and detroit. The students that are there, 49 have chosen 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. Yet there have been over 20 Charter Schools closed. Statistics andse ask you to think about that. Is there room for improvement, absolutely. At the reality is that of kids 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. Now, 1 billion no longer in the budget but that would have been an Optional Program for states to embrace if they wanted to go to a student weighted funding formula in their state to provide parents more choices. 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. Minute and a to close the evening. I have been meant been too many form offense, and this has been the most forum events and there are many strongly held views and in a context like that, conversations like we just had our very difficult. Our verye just had difficult. We did a reasonable and good job of this exchange. We have a lot of [inaudible] thank you for coming here and ink you,r professor peterson for an extremely good conversation on one of the most important policy topics there is among which is how we educate our next generation. Thank you very much. [applause] cspans washington journal, live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. Morning, dorcas davis talks about the state of Race Relations in the u. S. Ofn a look at the cost illegal immigration on taxpayers with daniel stein. And, in her recent article about the shutdown of a new your plant in massachusetts, boston globe magazine contributor catherine miles writes about safety concerns surrounding the closing. He sure to watch cspans washington journal live at 7 00 eastern this morning. Join the discussion. Today, opd has coverage of baltimore and book festival. At noon eastern, michael Eric Geithner discusses his book. With her book, you are in the wrong bathroom. Ritchie with invisible no more. The spencer, author of revolution has come. A beautiful ghetto or code and will feature contributors to the areas books. 2017 our coverage of the baltimore book festival, today starting at noon eastern on cspan twos book tv. This weekend, on American History tv on cspan3, tonight, at 8 00 eastern on lectures in history, Gary Gallagher on the legacy of the civil war. Loyal wife citizenry and africanamericans and former confederates cap had very different takes on the war as they went forward after appomattox. They embraced versions of the war that suited their purposes. At 10 00, president bill clinton marking the 60th anniversary of the integration of little rock high school. You did 60 years. Take a victory lap. Put on your dancing shoes. Have a good time. Say, youad, i have to have to put on your marching boots. 7 00 p. M. Eastern on oral history, we continue our series on photojournalist. When we were working, especially in the white house, to have the option of millions in your hand, and the maximum amount of film whenever something happened. Splite somebody in a second could be there and you have it, and the person next to you does or does not have it. At 9 00 p. M. Eastern, lynn thewell miranda accepts 2017 freedom award. See when you are akid, you work hard to create bigger some of your parts. And you trust your passion. Humanities and arts program, i would not be standing here. Without Alexander Hamilton and other immigrants, it is likely very few of us would be here. Interior secretary ryan zinke he talks about the Trump Administration policies and increasing Domestic Energy production. He also addressed reports that planes. Private this is just over 30 minutes. Since becoming secretary. This is over 30 minutes. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Auditorium. Ur welcome back to the heritage foundation. Where always delighted to have you and we are