Florida. If youll please join me. Impacted in sec. Devos thank you. Please be seated. Was a very sobering way to start a very important panel, and i want to thank you that and your thoughtfulness. That and your thoughtfulness. I wanted to let the audience know why i am so extraordinarily honored to be here. If you hadnt noticed, we already did secretary acosta. I have known you. 25 money to even 30 years. I was in junior high no. [laughter] any one of the things i know about our secretary this is our secretary of education. [applause] is an incredible woman, one that i have admired and loved and respected for so many years. Minute i knewery her, what is at the heart and soul of this woman is to provide equal minute i knew Educational Opportunities for kids in this country. That is the essence of who she is. We want to thank you. Her. Me in thanking [applause] ms. James let me start off with a softball. Knowing your passion, knowing your commitment, there are many things you could be doing with your life right now. Why did you decide to do this . Sec. Devos thank you, kay. Let me begin by thanking you for your kind words. Let me remind you there are other things you could do in your life right now. I think we both are in the places that we are for a time like this. We have opportunity to help make change and bring greater opportunity. In my case, i have been an advocate for all kids for over 30 years for the opportunity to have a great future and great education, but an equal opportunity for all children. That has fueled my passion over the years. It is an even greater passion now. Ms. James one of the things i saying saying is, some people have School Choice the wealthy, connected, and elected theywhat are you doing at the department to assure all have it. Have that opportunity . Sec. Devos we are carrying out the duties of the department. In k12 world, that includes the implementation opportunity . Sec. Devos of the every Student Succeeds act, which i think if states take the opportunities afforded them through the act, will bring more opportunities and flexibility for schools to meet students individual needs. In compliment to that, i continue to advocate most education policy happens at the state level. Many states have taken significant steps to offer and empower parents with more choicesmany states have taken significant for their childrens education. To evenuraging states double down on that. For those who have not yet taken those steps, to do so. We have an opportunity at the federal level even double down on that. For to partner with states in that regard. There will be more on that in the coming months. There is also opportunities at the federal level to look at areas where the federal government is directly involved, and i think specifically around military connected families. I know for a fact there are more than 1 3 of active duty military families that have schoolaged children. Their decisions about where they go or dont go, or whether they hinge very serve, heavily on the opportunities they have for their childrens education. Hinge very i think we have an opportunity in that regard to empower them with more choices. Ms. James i know educational disparities is something important to you. We see it everywhere, from k12 college. Could you talk about some of the policies that got us to this point . How did we get here . Sec. Devos there has been a lot of policies that have siloed education into specific areas. You look at the fact that we have block Grant Programs that afford low income families the opportunities to choose a preschool for their child. We have pilgrims and pell grants and g. I. Bills that afford students to choose places the higher level. Yet when we get to the k12 wor ld, those things are not ubiquitous. I believe there is a very strong argument to be made that all families should have the same kind of power and choices and same kind of opportunities that i had for my children, and that many of us in this room have had, and that we should empower them to make those choices through various means, but make sure that your childs quality of education is not going to be eded on where you are living or your family income. Ms. James i have heard it said some of our elected officials are the ones that live in Public Housing and send kids to private school. They live in governors mansions. They have school some of our eld choice, but very dont. When we talk about vouchers, they talk almost exclusively in terms of sending your kids to private school. Is that the full definition . What else should we take into consideration . Sec. Devos when we talk about School Choice, most people go to voucher, which is simply a mechanism. There are many mechanisms to give parents and students the opportunity to choose. There are tax credit scholarships, savings accounts, virtual schools, blended learning schools, charter Public Schools. There are probably some methodologies not yet discovered. Those are all just mechanisms. I think the core issue is we need to really embrace, as a country, educations freedom. That allows us to think more broadly about what education should be. The opportunity to learn in different ways. I have four grown children. They are individuals. They learn differently. Anyone that has a child knows kids are different. We need to look at the system that for too long has forced kids into more of a onesizefitsall approach, and create environments where new able to approaches are able to come in and be tried and afford families different options and different and different places for their children to learn as they can best do. Ms. James we always want to support our military. This audience here is strong in support of our military. [applause] ms. James one of the things we have been working on at the Heritage Foundation is savings accounts for military dependents. Can you explain to our audience first, what it is, and how it would help . Sec. Devos yes. As i mentioned earlier, there are so many activeduty families today who are making decisions about how they advance within the military, or where they are going to live or not live based on Educational Opportunities for their children. I think we have an opportunity to change that dynamic for them, and allow them the chance to tap into Education Savings Account, which would allow them to take the funding that would go for their childs education at whatever the assigned school is, and use it to customize their childs education. Maybe they take a couple classes at the local Traditional School to which they are assigned. Maybe they take a couple online classes. Maybe they take a couple classes at a charter school, or some combination that will work for that child. To afford these families that fexofenadine that flexibility to meet their needs as they are moving. It is difficult for those kids moving from base to base or city have continuity in their education. An Education Savings Account would afford them a much different dynamic to get their education in the way that best works for them. If have continuity in their education. An Education Savings Account would afford them a much different dynamic to get their education in the way that best works for them. If they dont use it all up in one year, it can roll forward it for them. Some of us are so concerned about what we are seeing in our Public Schools and some of our Higher Ed Institutions in terms conservativesly having their freedom of expression curtailed. What is the administration doing about that . Sec. Devos this is a timely serious issue i think we have got to address from a multitude of angles. Seen more ande more examples on College Years ofin recent shutting down free and open expression and debate around ideas. My view of and my experience of going to college was it was a place where i could test out some of the things i was taught as i was raised. I could entertain new thoughts and ideas. Is and should be a place where we explore other ideas and opinions, yet today it has is and where that possibility is more controlled. We have got to continue to exercise a foundational part of our nations founding in the first amendment. This administration is committed to upholding those freedoms of expression and exchange of ideas, and we where that possibility will be continuing to advance this notion that the place to have fights, so to speak, is in the battle of ideas. Lets share our perspectives, but do so in a way that is open to alternative views without censorship and without fear of not being able to defend them. Good ideas are always going to win. Ms. James we know that, dont we . It never ceases to amaze me that the left has a part of their intra, they want diversity ofry area i except in the area opinions and ideas. [applause] ms. James i think they are mostly afraid of the fact that they they know our ideas are better. How Many College Students do we now . Out there right a lot. Atknow you are doing a lot the department of education. Can you explain to our audience what you are focusing on in the department for college at the department of education. Can you explain to our audience what you are focusing on in the department for College Students . Sec. Devos Higher Education is an important part of the role of educationsnt of support for Higher Education. I will say it again here i think for too many decades we have had an almost singular focus on the notion that in order to be successful in adulthood, you have to go to and graduate from a four year college or university, when today we know in fact there are a multitude of pathways students can take. There are many opportunities beyond high school for further meaningfulnd a good ,ob with a future beyond opportunities to continue education beyond if you so desire. This administration and the president has been eloquent on this multiple times. We have got to focus on the fact and help students understand from a much earlier age what these pathways and opportunities are. You heard from secretary acosta earlier. He chairs a task force i am also serving on that is focused on elevating and increasing the opportunities around apprenticeship. I think this is a really important avenue, and needs to be celebrated and honored. [applause] sec. Devos all of those opportunities really need to be respected and encouraged, that students can pursue a wide range of options beyond a Fouryear College or university. I think we will see more and more as this Administration Partners with industry and local business to meet the growing needs that they have. 6 million jobs that are going require today that further education beyond high school, but are going unfilled because there is a mismatch in skills. Require further education beyond high school,ms. James let me tell yu something about your secretary of education. One of my favorite descriptions of Maggie Thatcher is that she velvetron fist in a glove. That is how i see this lady here. [applause] ms. James we know how difficult it is every day in that job. We are appreciative to the president for picking the best people possible to serve in his cabinet. [applause] ms. James and we know every day you get up and you come to work and you do a fabulous job for the american people, but are we winning . Sec. Devos absolutely we are winning. [applause] sec. Devos this whole notion of freedom, i think is one where people, no matter where you come from, can relate to and embrace. World, years in the k12 we have primarily relied on a system that has treated education more like a factory or industrial approach. It is time now to ask the questions that we have not been wanting to ask for too many years. We have an opportunity to think much more holistically about learning and what the role of education is, starting from the youngest of ages, where we know that Young Children absorb the world around them at such a tremendous rate. Launching them into their formative years in the k12 world, where if every parent and every child had the opportunity to choose a school or learning environment that works for that child, and if funding after a year that particular school oasnt the right fit, t make another choice, we would see a dynamism in education we have not seen in over 100 years. The demand for this continues to grow. No matterno matter what party of Demographic Group you look at this perspective from, the support for education freedom and choice in education is broa d and wide. I encourage everyone in this room to raise your voices around this very important subject. Education and the children and students served through education represent 100 of d and wide. Our future. We have got to invest in our future, and do so in a way that is going to encourage the creativity and entrepreneurial activity and the thinking that is going to move our country weward, the likes of which have not seen before. Everyone who has an interest in our nations future, i think it is critically important that you raise your voices in support of empowering students and empowering parents with the multitude of choices and pathways to a future that is right for him or her. I am thankful for the opportunity to be with you all and serve you in this capacity, and they look forward to working together shoulder to shoulder with you to advance our nations future through the education of todays young people. Ms. James secretary devos, thank you for your love of and commitment to this country. Thank god for taking on the failure factories that exist in our cities around the country. Together shoulder to shoulder with you to advancethank you fof children and your desire to make sure they have the best education possible, and thank you President Trump for printing and someone is wonderful as secretary devos. Thank you. Sec. Devos thank you all. [applause]