Transcripts For CSPAN2 Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Pressed On Accountability For Charter... 20170526

Good to have you here, madam secretary. The forward begin to recognize for the purposes of an introduction. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I would like to introduce tommy diaz. [indiscernible] for the fifth annual shadow day. These are my 40th congressional district. His educational effort aspirations [indiscernible] i want to thank him for coming today show the voices are heard [indiscernible] our are involved in Child Welfare [indiscernible] wellbeing, talent and educational aspirations. And tommy is the one with the blue around him. Why dont you stand up real quick . [applause] there he is. Good morning, matt of secretary. It is my leisure lucky to the subcommittee on labor, health and Human Services and education. We are looking forward to hearing your testimony you want the most important jobs in washington ensuring all young people have access to the education they need to be successful in coming decades. I know it is a positive devoted your life to quite selflessly. Many schools do fantastic jobs. Someday support and others are in need of significant improvement and reform. One fact remains, and we need to do the right thing for all americas children and your job is to ensure that happens. The budget blueprint they came out in march was further detailed yesterday and proposes dramatic shifts in the way your agency does business. It has a goal of Opening Doors for more educational choices the families, whether they be Public Schools, Charter Schools or private schools. I applaud your investment and highquality Charter Schools as a way to give options to many students who have had no options in the past. I support highquality education options for all students. I believe the neediest have the most to gain from an excellent education. I have long supported programs that help level the Playing Field for indian children, disabled children, firstgeneration College Students and poor children. Will have some questions about how your School Choice proposals would work and how they would mesh with the reauthorization of the elementary and secretar secondary education act that was completed a year ago and nearly a decade in the making. I appreciate your budget aims to protect the most vulnerable populations, students with disabilities, english light which learners and minority serving institutions. It is unfortunate the timing of the consolidated appropriations bill and the production of the full budget coincided such that the final fiscal 2017 your budget figures were not known at the time your funding proposal decisions were finalized. I understand that makes apparent that sometimes cuts were made that were not intended to be cuts at all. In many cases it is obvious the policy of your administration was to maintain current funding for programs. The congress increased funding after a particular program sometimes after the facts, such that your proposal would appear to be a cut when i was not the intention at all. We simply need to carefully explain ourselves when discussing proposed increases and decreases. Today your budget shifts the way Higher Education Student Financial assistance flows by proposing dramatic changes in sco g and college workstudy programs. I look forward to working more learning more about how you believe these will increase Student Access to and completion. Of College Programs your budget consolidates and proposes over 20 programs for elimination. Many are cited as being duplicate, ineffective or not a key federal mission. I look for to discussing those. Your budget proposes cuts which friendly evident buys you i have a different point of view on. I will be interested in discussing this with you and learning your rationale. I have questions about your proposed funding levels for individuals with disabilities, particularly in light of the recent Supreme Court decision that found schools must provide a meaningful education opportunity to all children with disabilities and not just the bare minimum level of services. I want to commend you for making a special effort to protect these populations. Ultimately the subcommittee meets in a specific details of how your cuts impact and students, and how new programs that would be limited. The budget provides some of the details. I know some are being developed, bubbly look forward to hearing what you are able to share with us today. As a reminder, our witnesses will abide by the fiveminute rule so everyone will have a chance to get their questions asked and answered. We have both the big chairman and the Ranking Member here, so i will move next to my thinking never, but we will be calling on them for whatever remarks they care to make. The gentlelady from connecticut. I want to welcome the secretary. I will take one second if i will because like my colleague i too have a young woman who were shadowing me today from the city of new haven, connecticut. The programof dealing with foster children and making it through the system that they both have. I want to welcome her. [applause] you delauro again, thank for joining us today and i offer my congratulations to you. Let me launch right in. We spoke about recently. I believe proposals contained in president trumps budget are alarming, and quite frankly this puts us on a path towards privatization of Public Education. This budget intends to shift Public School funding and to advance an agenda that transfers taxpayer dollars out of local community schools. Education is the great equalizer in our country. At the signing ceremony for the original elementary and secondary education act, president Lyndon Johnson described education as the only valid passport out of poverty. Decades later he is still right. To thenomic benefits individual and society are they must provide every child with highquality Public Education. We need to focus on policies on strengthening Public Schools, reducing class sizes, supporting the teaching profession, providing more one on one attention, boosting student enrichment opportunities, supporting parental involvement, and making highquality preschool available to all. We have an achievement gap in this country. It is worse in high poverty areas. Both urban and rural. Yet these of the very areas we will starve with this budget. Concertedre is a effort to help students of color, lowincome students make gains since the department of education was created. Reading and math scores have improved. I wont go into it, the later but later in the hearing, read you the success percentages of our students. Economic time highquality districts receive less funding. Their students are more likely to be taught by novice teachers and less likely to take nap course for which an ap course which they had shown potential. 90 of our kids are in Public Schools. We need more resources to help them succeed. You cant do more with less. The less with less. We should not be siphoning off taxpayer dollars to pay for vouchers. Vouchers will destabilize not only are schools but our communities. I will fight it every step against any attempt to take public money away from Public Schools. Cutting funding for critical programs, to increase federal investments in Charter Schools also raises public accountability questions. I support Charter Schools, but i do not believe that they should supplant Public Education system. Transferring limited resources from Public Schools to private schools is wrong. It creates a false choice for families. When congress completed the bipartisan reauthorization of the elementary and secondary education 2015, it soundly rejected efforts to decimate neighborhood schools. We expect the administration to implement the new law as written. The trump budget request includes 1. 4 billion in new funding to expand socalled choice. At the same time it puts 9. 2 billion in cuts on the table slashing or eliminating programs that help kids in Public Schools to help pay for this illconceived proposal. Despite budget documents and rhetoric claiming it maintains funding for core formula Grant Programs, it cuts 578 million from title i and 114 million from ide a. A. Help nearly 2 million kids safe. 2 billion for Teacher Professional Development and classsize reduction, which would result in more than 7000 teachers is in their jobs. Literacy is a mark of a civilized society. We spend money to spread literacy internationally, yet we are a limited 190 million from the largest Reading Program for lowincome children in and youth, and 96 million from grexit help low skilled adults become literate. Despite promises of the administration the champion the american worker, the budget slashes funding by 15 for career and Technical Education programs that help prepare high school and Community College for in demand jobs. The list goes on and on. The budget proposes deep cuts or limitations programs that help students access Higher Education. That has enjoyed bipartisan support for many years. Academico trio, support services for more than 130,000 College Students. 50 cut to work study, which would punish house and the students who are working their way through college. The complete elimination of both the supplemental education opportunity grant that 1. 5 Million Students rely on. And the strengthening Institutions Program that would help nearly 200 committee college and other institutions help workingclass students. It calls for an end to Public Service on forgiveness, police officers, teachers, nurses, and erase 4 billion from pell without helping students access the Economic Freedom they deserve such as increasing the maximum pell award. The administration claims to the store support historically black colleges, but something ignores the fact these Budget Proposals would harm the very program that hbc you and your students rely on. I want to be clear. Fraud and painful history of segregation in this country. Hbcus were not the product of School Choice. They were the product of the nations racist segregation. I haverom your budget, questions about how you plan to protect students from low quality, high debt for profit colleges. These companies prey on lowincome students, students of color, and the honorable men and women who served in the armed military and sacrificed her life for this country. Forprofits represent only about one in 10 of the total Higher Education population, yet they represent more than one third of all federal student loan defaults. Calling into question the quality and value of education provided by this sector. Gainful employment regulations are critically important steps in reining in these abuses. Thats why im alarmed that one of your first actions as secretary was to delay the gainful employment rule. Failure to fully implement this regulation will not only hurt students, it would be expensive. The Congressional Budget Office estimated a 1. 3 billion cost over 10 years to taxpayers. President george h. W. Bush once said, think of every problem, every challenge we face. The solution to each start with education. We owe it to the future of our society to make a commitment to all of our children. That they get the best start in life as possible. And that cannot happen if we make misguided cuts to education. I look forward to a robust discussion today and i thank you for being here. I think the gentlelady. We are privileged to have the distinguished chairman today. German, the chairman, we would love to hear whatever opening the market decide. We look forward to your testimony in hearing your frank and candid views on any number of issues. The hearing is an important part of oversight duties of this committee. Natalie formally received the administrations budget request, we will undertake a thorough analysis of each and every budget. We look at the each and every budget line, question witnesses, and demand critical spending justifications and only then will make our own determination on the best use of tax dollars we intend to put forward a complete set of bills that adequately Fund Important programs over working to eliminate waste and duplication. I will work with chairman call, Ranking Member the lau delaura to complete the 2018 appropriations bills. Todays hearing is part of a be followed to determine the best use of taxpayer dollars. After all, the power of the purse lies in this building. If the constitutional duty of congress to make spending decisions on behalf of the people that represent we represent at home. We owe young people to make sure the have access to the best education possible. Your department is vital in keeping that promise. Many programs admitted administer by the department of education like pell grants and individuals with disabilities act idea intrusion of people receive a quality education. I visited many wonderful schools in my district in new jersey, some of the best in the nation. I hear from students, teachers and parents on a range of issues. In middle schools and high schools i often hear about the benefits of a wellrounded education supported by every Student Succeeds act which allows students to pursue interests in the arts, music, physical education, as well as Stem Education and english. In colleges and universities in my district many students remind me they would not have the opportunity to attend without programs like pell and federal work study. Eager to hear your department would ensure for the student with proposed reductions, including the elimination of supplemental Educational Opportunity grants. Ensuring the next generation of teachers have access to quality Higher Education and the necessary tools in their careers. We need to work as we have in the past and a bipartisan way to ensure every child in america is welleducated. In conclusion, i welcome you. I look forward to working with you and this committee to make sure we have the best possible legislation possible. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Were lucky to have the congressman from new york. I want to thank chairman cole. It is good that my partner. Always good to have my friend, congresswoman delaura here. Thank you for holding this hearing and im pleased to welcome secretary devos before this subcommittee for the first time. Madam secretary, i will get right to it. I believe that your Budget Proposal would do great harm to students in every facet of education, from kindergarten through graduate school. And to those with student loan debt, years beyond. It is just another example of the broken promises and the trump budget that would harm hardworking americans and set us back in preparing a 21st century workforce. To me, this budget reflects the views that do not represent the majority of people in my district and people throughout the country. 9. 2budget would cut billion from the department of 13. 6 ,on, a cut of taking us back to 2002 levels. It would siphon money from Public Schools to pay for private school vouchers, eliminate more than 22 education investments, including teacher training, afterschool programs, leaving 1. 6 million children without a safe enrichment environment. I want to say that has always been one of my favorite programs because if you can convince people they are enriching their children, at least they are keeping them safe other parents while their parents are both working. It would make Higher Education more expensive by cutting federal work study in half, eliminating perkins loans for many of these students, preventing inflationary increase with pell grants, dropping surplus, ending Public Service want forgiveness and more. In my district, rockland Community College is currently taking part in a department of Education Initiative that provides childcare for lowincome parents taking college courses. Allowing students to earn a degree and enter the workforce more quickly with less debt. Your budget would eliminate this program, destroying the dreams of these hardworking people who are trying to build a better life for themselves and their children. And i hope, by the way, before this budget is completed you would come to the district, meet these families, jds parents who are working jobs, going back to school so they can have a positive, bright future. This budget reflects the views of an administration filled with people who frankly never had to worry about how they were going to pay for their children going to college. And yet, i am most of set that this upset that this budget would undermine the Public Education system and the working families who depend on them by reallocating funding for disadvantaged students, including the pell surplus program. Ent these vouchers go to families who would likely send the kids to private will anyway, yet this budget would deplete Public Schools to fund them. It is clear to me that you do not have the necessary understanding of our Education System between this proposed budget and your comments referring to Public Schools as a debt end and Public School teachers as being receive mode. Please calm and spend some time in schools in my district where the teachers i know is that working when the final bell rings. They spent hours getting prepared for the next day. Many of these teachers and administrators are on the front line identifying the best way to reach these students and a time being a parent, counselor and more. And im not saying it is all perfect. But lets improve the system rather than destroy the system. The teachers i represent were angered and demoralized after hearing your statements on Public Education. I hope as you lead the department you will see the hard work and good that most Public School teachers do every day and you better than this Budget Proposal to empower them to succeed. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Cap secretary, a genuine pleasure to have you here today. You are recognized for whatever opening remarks you care to make. Sec. Devos thank you, mr. Chairman. Chairman. Mber, mr. And members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the administrations Budget Proposal for fiscal year 2018. I look forward to talking about how we can Work Together to improve Educational Opportunities and outcomes for all students, while refocusing the federal rule and education role in education. It is meant to focus on the numbers and mechanics the budget, i hope we will all remember our purpose. How to best serve americas students. Allow me to share one example. I recently met a young man, michael, whose story spoke to me. Michael grew up in east hartford, connecticut in a lowincome neighborhood. He was an average student route elementary and middle school, but all that changed any reached the district high school. Michael describes a school where students were the real ones in charge of the class and it would make it impossible for the teacher to teach. He was constantly bullied to the point he was afraid even go to the schools bathroom. The constant fear making hate school. He described the school as, nothing more than adult day care, a dangerous day care. But even though he was failing classes, the school past him year to year, giving him ds and spending the message that they did not think he would amount to much. He got it, but not in education. Michael followed the path he thought he was destined for, working in a low wage, low skill job. With the encouragement of his wife he took a course at the local Community College to see what was possible for him. He found an environment that was invested in his success, and much to his surprise he earned an a. He thought it was a fluke so he took more classes. Lo and behold he earned more as. He is now in the Honors Program with the goal of working as an emergency room nurse. His success is americas success. Access to a quality education is the path of the american dream. I ask you to keep michael and countless other students like him in mind as we go about our share of work to support americas students. No student should feel they attend a dangerous day care. No childs dream should be limited by the quality or lack thereof of the education they receive. This budget lays out a series of proposals and priorities working to ensuring every student has an equal opportunity to receive a great education. It focuses on returning decisionmaking power in possibility to the states where it belongs, and giving parents more control over their childs education. Parents deserve that right, and that right is been denied for too long. We cannot allow any parent to feel their child is trapped in a school not beating their unique needs. The budget reflects a series of tough choices. Is taxpayer money were limitless, we would not need of budget at all. But by its very definition, a budget reflects a difficult decision of how to best appropriate limited taxpayer dollars. This budget puts an emphasis on the programs that are proven to help students while taking a hard look at programs that are well intended but simply have not yielded meaningful results. This is why the president s fiscal year 2018 budget but reduce overall funding for the Department Programs by 9 million, or 13 . I have seen the headlines and i understand those figures may sound alarming for some. However this budget refocuses the department on supporting states and School Districts in an effort to provide highquality education to all our students. At the same time it sympathize funding for college while continuing to help make a Higher Education more accessible to all. I would like to outline the principles that guided our decisionmaking. First, devoting significant resources towards giving every student and equal opportunity for a great education. It emphasizes giving parents more power and students more opportunities. Second, the administrations request recognizes maintaining strong support for Public Schools through long stand and Grant Programs focused on meeting the Educational Needs of the nations most vulnerable students, including poor and minority students and students with disabilities. Third, our quest maintains funding for key competitive Grant Programs that support education and build evidence of what works in education. This means stronger support for the research and Data Collection effort to these activities of different departments. It reduces funding for college while prioritizing efforts to in a College Educations accessible for students. As Congress Prepares to reauthorize the Higher Education act i look forward to working to address student debt and Higher Education costs while accelerating and improving student completion rates through such efforts as yearround pel l and reducing the complexities of financial aid. And consistent with our commitment to improve the efficiencies of the federal government, it would eliminate or phase out 22 programs that are duplicate of, and effective or better supported through state, local or philanthropic efforts. Six Additional Programs are already a laminated in the reauthorization of the elementary and secondary education act. Taxpayers will save 518. 5. 8 billion. The budget places power in the hands of families. Give refocuses the department on supporting states in their efforts to provide highquality education to all our students. Research shows increasing education options can have positive effects on students generally, and an even greater impact on core poor and minority students. If you want to provide better education to underserved communities, we must start with getting parents and students the power to select highquality schools that meet their needs. We want to unleash a new era of creativity and ingenuity in the education space. My hope is that working in concert with each of you we can make education in america the envy of the rest of the world. Thank you again for the opportunity to share the administrations vision for improving education across the country. I look forward to responding to your questions. Thank you, madam chairman. I appreciate your testimony. Of me begin with the first the many unfair questions you are going to get. Unfair in this case because he will have had so little time in your department to react. Im sure you are well aware we recently had a Supreme Court decision, andrew versus the Douglas County School District. 80 decision that found district must provide meaningful levels of Educational Opportunities for students with disabilities and not something more than a minimal level of basic services. It is early to tell with the full ramifications of this are, but as you know this is a tremendous cost to local School Districts. It is a major item in your budget as well. I appreciate you defending it. Have you had a chance to think about for the impact of this decision will be on local School Districts and how the Department Might be able to assist local areas in addressing it . Sec. Devos thank you for that question. This is an issue about which i have definitely become aware and followed closely. Let me begin by saying how important i believe it is the federal department, the federal have definitely become aware and followedgovernments role is tot the plan Program Supporting students with special needs with disabilities. This budget anticipates fully funding ida. What the implications are of this decision remained to be seen. We are looking closely at the decision and the directive to help provide guidelines and are in the process of working through that now. I would come back to the original reason for the case. That was that these parents felt their son was not getting the kind of education he and they, as any parent would do, thought hard to make sure their child was getting the support he needed. I think this is an area that is very ripe for broader discussion around empowering parents more in these decisions around their children. An areae this has been of this committee has focused on. The last administration flat funded i. D. E. A. In the last couple of budgets and this committee put more money for i. D. E. A. Than the senate or house. As you develop your strategies, im sure we will want to visit with you again. We know this is a challenge for a lot of districts and we want to make sure these young people are taken care of. Let me also ask you and give you an opportunity in full disclosure, im a big fan. Ive seen the impact in my district. It is a program i found out about when i was an academic in the 1970s. It has been around a long time. It has produced over 5 million college graduates. That is an area that had been flat funded. This subcommittee has been the leader on restoring funding there. Youve proposed some reductions to that. I would love to have your thinking on this and your assessment of the program. Sec. Devos agreed, there are portions of the trio program that have been very effective and very important for students who are aspiring to go to college, who may not have had that opportunity. The focus of this budget and the portion of the trio program we are proposing to be in the minute it are the mcnair eliminated are the mcnair and eoc portions, mcnair eating focused on postbaccalaureate programs, sort of outside the original intent of the program, and the eoc program being more insularity activity to help support or market the trio program. We felt that, with tough choices to be made, these were areas that were not really focused on the original intent. Behave proposed those eliminated but continue to fund the upward bound and the other Talent Search and the other student services. Rep. Cole i appreciate that very much. We will continue to have a dialogue. I think you will find if you look at mcnair in particular, it has helped a lot of students get graduate school that otherwise couldnt. Sec. Devos granted, it is just a high cost per student. Rep. Cole you are absolutely correct. That is partly because it is a graduate degree. You are correct in your assessment. With that, let me go to my good friend, the Ranking Member. Thank you very much. Madam secretary, you stated that funding designated for professional development and essa iso part a of redundant. Eliminating title two part a sends the message that teachers, school staff, and principles have hit all the benchmarks and they do not need to improve, or there is no need to invest in them. Which category do you believe teachers, professionals, and principals fall into . Sec. Devos madame congresswoman, the title two a program, we believe it has been spread very thin. It has been more restrictive prescriptive in nature. As states implement their programs, they have great latitude with how to use other Funding Sources and to devote them to the kinds of activities that it had been intended for. 20 of the grants that have gone through that program are of 10,000 or less. Them has beenf very much in question. We believe that with the flexibility granted to the states, they are going to be able to use the other funding streams in support of these developmental programs, if that is right for the plan and programs. Rep. Delauro i dont know that states have a lot of leeway in other funding streams. I point to the state of connecticut, which is in serious financial difficulty. Changeds and curriculum based on research. Teachers need to improve and change as well. Do you believe that is true . Sec. Devos absolutely. Rep. Delauro they need the resources to do it. There ise resources critically important in order to deal with teacher development. Many schools use their title two funds to keep classes from being overcrowded. Parents do not want their first greater in a class of 30 with one teacher. Couldating this funding mean firing approximately 8000 teachers. How do you explain this decision to parents . Sec. Devos sec. Devos we believe that with essa, states are going to be best equipped to be able to make these decisions on behalf of students closer to rep. Delauro decisions without resources. Sec. Devos theres resources through title i that are very flexible in that regard. Rep. Delauro weve got a serious shifting funds from title i. We can get that in another round. Shifting money out of title i School Choice. That is part of where you want to go with title i. Title i isnt going to be at the level it necessarily needs to be to accommodate these efforts. You talked about in your fy 2018 budget that it refocuses the mission on supporting the efforts of states to provide highquality education. My view, that eliminating of contradicts this mission, how do you square this circle . Sec. Devos we believe these decisions are best made at the state and local level. Their ability to target the resources to where the needs are for their state, for their students, and for their schools, is the most important. The flexibility afforded through essa is a very important element in this whole budget process. Rep. Delauro should every student again, you cant do less with less. That is my view. We are cutting back significantly in the resources to education and dealing with the notion that we do not have to invest in teacher training or in reduced class size in order to help have kids learn. Should every student have access to a highly qualified teacher . Sec. Devos absolutely. Rep. Delauro how does eliminating title ii funding there are belief competitive grants that dont reach every state and every School District. How do you, by eliminating title back up your view that every student should have access to a highly effective teacher . Sec. Devos again, re prioritizing the dollars that go to the states for their flexibility to the used in the best manner possible on behalf of the students they are serving. With respect to your question and comment about reducing class size, that portion of that program only was effective or implemented for 8000 teachers out of more than 3 million. The number of teachers that are actually being impacted through that is really very minimal. Rep. Delauro 8000. I guess if you are one of those 8000, you dont see it as minimal. One final comment. Is there evidence that states and districts arent spending all of their title i money . You have claimed they can use title i theres no room to accommodate elimination of these programs. Thank you for your courtesy, mr. Chairman. Rep. Cole if you would care to respond. Thank you. We will try to be generous with the clock. To thean, we next go full chairman. Mr. Chairman . Years as manyome as 80 schools, juniors and seniors in high school, seventh and eighth graders, some of whom trek down here for their washington trip. Read across america, things that have put a human face on what we do as members of congress to support Public Education. Ive had a particular focus, as has chairman call, on chairman cole, on i. D. E. A. And i and in awempressed of anyone who teaches special ed. Weve never met powerful obligation. I think the law was passed in 1975, 40 present partnership. Could you talk about whether we are where you are relative to greater participation in terms of that partnership . I think it is essential. Maybe it is true of new york as well. There are a number of people who come to new jersey because of Court Decisions which require a thorough and efficient education for every child regardless of their circumstance, and many families with disabilities, children with severe disabilities, come to our state. We have a great Public School system. We have a number of other schools maybe dealing with autism. Where do you feel we are going, and how supportive does this budget represent . Sec. Devos thank you, mr. Chairman. I share your concern for both the students as well as those help teach them, and they have a tremendous dedication to a wide range of needs and a wide range of students. Your reference to the fact that when i. D. E. A. Was passed, the goal was to support 40 of the cost of it, if congress were to actually fully fund it, it would be 30 billion for i. D. E. A. The budget and what you have traditionally funded it the last number of years is about the 15 range. We are proposing to continue the budget funding as has been done in the last number of years. I think its a matter for robust conversation. If congress believes the commitment to this program should be at a much higher level financially, theres certainly an opportunity there. Rep. Frelinghuysen i think at one point we were up to 19 , maybe 22 , and now we are down to i think 17 . I think we need to do better. Just want to put my oar in the water. We will now go to the Ranking Member of the full committee. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I am extremely disappointed that your budget proposes to take funding from Public Education and transfer it to private schools. In my judgment, we need to increase the resources remember, the federal government provides about 9 of resources for Public Schools. Most of it comes from state and local taxes. What we have to do is increase resources for Public Schools, not thought an increased burden on the state and local, and continue to Work Together to improve them, not diminish them. I think its imperative that this committee and the American People really understand what this proposal would do. A couple of quick questions. Under your proposal, would a student with disabilities receiving a voucher for a private school have Due Process Rights under i. D. E. A. . Sec. Devos i thank you for the question and thank you for being here today. Before responding yes or no to your question, allow me to just address one of the things you said earlier about shifting funding. We are not proposing any shifting of funding from Public Schools to private schools. All of the proposals that have been set forth in the budget continue to fully fund and commit to funding Public Schools as we have. If we are misunderstanding numbers somehow, lets talk about that. Rep. Lowey who is paying for the vouchers . Sec. Devos that is an Additional Program to the title i funds that have been carried forward in the budget. Title i funds in the budget are consistent rep. Lowey this is clearly a misunderstanding. Maybe at another time we could talk about that. If you are funding the vouchers, the money is coming from some place and is an overall cut. Sec. Devos there is a proposal for a 250 Million Investment in the innovation portion of the budget that would help fund some pilot test programs around School Choice. About everybody talks about vouchers, but what we also have to understand, there are many mechanisms to provide parents choices. Vouchers are but one mechanism. The 250 million does not prescribe a method or mechanism. That remains to be discussed or decided upon if that is funded as part of the appropriations process. Rep. Lowey i would be interested knowing whether private schools funded with public taxpayer dollars will be held to the same performance standards as Public Schools, and do you believe private schools that enroll voucher students should be accredited and have to provide evidence of the quality of their programs . Sec. Devos each state deals with this issue in their own manner. I can refer to the program in florida where there are 40,000 parents whose children are deemed students with disabilities, who have chosen to take a mckay scholarship and take it to a private school of their choice. Those parents are very happy and satisfied with that decision. They made that choice to do that. I refer to that as a specific example of a state addressing an issue in a way that is working for the students and parents. Each state has to deal with this in their own way. Rep. Lowey maybe im misunderstood, but can you clarify a student with disabilities receiving a voucher for private schools have Due Process Rights under i. D. E. A. . Sec. Devos Due Process Rights with regard to i. D. E. A. If a parent chooses to go to a school that is not a Public School, that is a decision made and a contract made with that private provider or other provider. Rep. Lowey will they have access to i. D. E. A. . Will they have Due Process Rights . I mean, the public should know that its optional, correct . Sec. Devos the way they handle it in florida is one approach. Two ich state has believe if they are going to offer choices, they are going to deal with those issues in the way that works best for their state. Rep. Lowey i see i have no time left, but there are many questions i have, afterschool programs, pell grants weve worked very hard on this committee to support Public Education all the way up, and im very concerned. When the federal government only you areof the budget, supporting further cuts. I think we need increased dialogue here. Education to me is one of our most important responsibilities if were going to have a workforce that is strong and healthy. Sec. Devos couldnt agree with you more. Rep. Cole certainly. Were going to go a little bit out of order if we make. Our friend has another engagement. Mr. Harris has graciously agreed to allow us to go with him. Very gracious. I thank the good doctor from maryland. I will make it as the sink as i can. In 2014 suicide was the second leading cause of death among young people 13 to 19. You site of the problem in certain areas of my district and across the country. Ive made a commitment to helping address this problem. First, how does the Department Plan on partnering with local School Districts as well as other agencies to effectively and swiftly address the Mental Health crisis we are seeing in our nations youth and secondly, in many cases, School Resource officers play an Important Role in this effort. They engage with students. They get to know them. Identifyingtical in depression and suicidal behavior among kids are young people. For the last few years, the program has given additional consideration to sro programs, so districts can make applications for this. I want to hear what your thoughts are on the practice of schoolbased policing through School Resource officers, and is it something you will be supporting . Sec. Devos i share your concern youththis crisis in our , thosehink to start with issues and that crisis is best addressed at the most local level possible. Allowsextent that essa states and local communities great flexibility in how to invest the resources, hopefully in an area where that is a very specific issue and crisis, they will certainly devote the resources necessary. From the department level, we have a program, the office of safe and healthy students, that is involved with helping to meet some of these needs. It is very much a distant relationship there. Extent that local communities have this issue very high on their radar screen, i hope and trust that states will account for that and address those needs very specifically. Rep. Herrera beutler do you think the department of justice should continue to promote the hiring of School Resource officers . Im sorry, could you say that again . Rep. Herrera beutler do you think the department of justice should continue to promote the hiring of School Resource officers within the program . Sec. Devos i think School Resource officers are a very viable and important solution in some places and i think that his best determined at the state and local level. Rep. Herrera beutler in 2014, department of ed reports over 6 Million Students were chronically absent or missed 10 or more of school days. In my state, we had the highest rate of chronic absenteeism in the nation. The Research Shows the student who is chronically absent is seven times more likely to drop out of school. I recently held a roundtable and there are very Important Reasons it is not just a random student playing hooky. There are home environments, Community Environments in high school, i think about some of the young men who dropped out because they could get a better job and couldnt see the relevance of being in class. Theres a lot of issues here. I introduced the chronic absenteeism reduction act which would give districts the flexibility to implement strategies that would combat chronic absenteeism. How does the Department Plan to empower the local districts to address this issue . Sec. Devos thank you for that question. It is a very real issue in many areas, and so often is a matter of the student and the school not being a good fit for one another. But the student doesnt have a choice or another alternative. I think about a letter the department recently received from an individual in the correctional facility in minnesota who really was lamenting the fact that he didnt have the kind of fit that he needed in school. He went down a bad path and ends now il, prison, and rep. Herrera beutler i agree, sometimes it is fit, but sometimes there are extenuating circumstances. I think it goes back to the local districts and the state that really needs to Work Together to address the issues at the local level, closest to the students that need the support and help. We will now go to my good friend from california, ms. Roybalallard. Thank you, mr. Chairman, and welcome, secretary devos. I want to go to a topic raised by the Ranking Member, how your department treats title i. I was disappointed to see your budget request includes focus grants, which is in essence a 1 billion title i portability proposal. This request for an unauthorized on proven carveout from title i is alarming in light of your million fromt 578 other parts of title i. Title i portability was soundly rejected by congress during negotiations for every Student Succeeds act. During the debate surrounding essa, numerous nonpartisan experts and stakeholders ranging from the Brookings Institution to the association of School Superintendents concluded that portability would result in more funding for wealthier School Districts at the expense of former districts. Oorer districts. In your view, should high poverty schools receive more Funding Resources than schools that have lower levels of poverty . Sec. Devos congresswoman, yes, i think the reality is that they do receive higher levels of funding. If i could just refer back to loweysanking member questions, the question around title i funding and the assumption that title i funding for vouchers was going to be part of title i, its 1b that is for a voluntary School Choice program. It is not a mandatory were imposed program. I just want to clarify that. With respect to the funding for title i, the budget has proposed lets make sure we are clear that the budget we are working from was prior to the omnibus changes in april, so we are working from that, those funding levels. The proposal is to Carry Forward the title i funding and to fully support toi around and through Public Schools. Rep. Roybalallard you do agree that high poverty schools should receive more federal resources than lower level of poverty schools . Was that your testimony . Sec. Devos i think that is the case. As theybalallard Ranking Member said, they dont. My next question is, do you accept the basic premise that high poverty schools face disproportionate challenges when compared to modern income and wealthy schools . Yes, they do. Rep. Roybalallard quite frankly, im relieved that you do acknowledge that. Ited on your answer, i find curious that you would endorse a proposal that shifts more funding away from highest need schools. I think theres a conflict there. Sec. Devos we actually are proposing to protect all the title i dollars to Public Schools and the additional 1 billion is for a voluntary program that would allow students to choose between Public Schools. Rep. Roybalallard but that money has to come from somewhere. Because of lack of time, we can maybe explore this a little further. But any shift in money has to come from somewhere and it appears it is coming from areas that could truly help these low income kids sec. Devos and the reality is that it is intended to help low income kids and it is intended to give more choices to them and their parents in finding schools that fit for them. Rep. Roybalallard i think where the disagreement comes in is maybe the intentions are good but the actual impact is not meeting those intentions. This administration has made clear that restoring local control its approach to k12 education, yet your budget violates that premise. Instead, your request what incentivize districts to adopt portability in spite of warnings that portability would undermine local control and limiting districts from using the funds in ways they believe most effective. As your department considers the financial implications portability will have on districts, and has the department considered how it would mitigate the disruption a portability structure would impose if enacted . Sec. Devos this is proposed to be a voluntary program on the part of states and local communities. I would also kind of try to take us back to the notion that we are talking about students and their education, and i think we stand in a lot of time talking instead about schools and buildings and systems. I think we should be focused on doing what is right for individual students. If a school is not working for a student and a parent doesnt have the means to do Something Different, i think we should help find them ways to make that decision on behalf of their children. Rep. Roybalallard perhaps a better way would be, in these poor minority schools, maybe invest more and bring all the schools up to a level, rather than take away from schools that need these funds, and put them into wealthier schools. Sec. Devos the federal department of education has invested a lot of funds in trying to do just that. The last administration invested 7 billion in School Improvement grants specifically targeted at the lowest performing schools and areas with zero results and zero improvement. We have tried that. I think its time to try Something Different. Rep. Cole the chair is going to gently admonished members. Please dont ask a question at the end of your five minutes that puts the secretary in a difficult spot and will inhibit our ability to reach a second round. With that i go to my good friend from maryland, dr. Harris. Harris welcome, madam secretary. Every secretary questioned in the past few years, ive always made known my preference for giving parents the choice where to send their students. In the end, the parents are the taxpayers, the ones who probably know best. I want to read a sentence from your testimony. You said, in part, my support for educational choice is based on my strong belief in the power of markets and competition has drivers of educational quality and accountability. Im sure you are aware that in international testing, the test done in 2015 or 2016, in math, reading, and science we didnt crack the top 10. We didnt crack the top 15. In math, we didnt crack the top 25. I think there is no question that we dont get a bang for our book in the American Educational system. We see spending going up. We think i guess the measure on how effective education is, is how much money you spin on it, and yet we are failing in a Global Education economy. I welcome things like the opportunity scholarship program. Well,test report is that, the children in those schools dont do as well compared to the ones in Public Schools of course the study several years ago showed a Graduation Rate much higher, things like that. One possible explanation is competition actually works. When you give people the choice, the Public School system figures they better turnout a better product because now theres competition. Is that a reasonable reading of those results . Sec. Devos i think it is indeed. The scores for all of the districts, students in traditional schools in the district, have shown remarkable improvement in the last few years. I think it is relatable to the fact that there are robust choices. Rep. Harris the new scholarship awards for school here 20162017 was only 234 students. There were 2349 applications for those 234 slots. These are parents deciding 10 times more than slots are available, which correlates to what a really Good University gets, an ivy league kind of thing. To somehow suggest these parents have no idea what theyre talking about, and we know better, is kind of crazy. I hope you are a strong advocate of the osp and fully fund it. Two other things i want to bring up. Because federal funds do flow directly to institutes of Higher Education is this trend that i think is waning of these Higher Education institutions that come to the federal government for billions of dollars declaring themselves sanctuary campuses. We want the billions of dollars but we are not going to comply with federal immigration authorities. I hope you follow the lead of the dhs and request things written into law that suggest that if you are coming to the federal government for dollars, you better cooperate with our federal Law Enforcement for immigration. In the end, that is the only Immigration Enforcement we have. State and local governments are not given the authority to write Immigration Law and have to cooperate with federal authorities if they expect federal largess. The last thing i want to bring up his that there are title ix exemptions from religious institutions i think before the department and i dont think action has been taken on these. Qfrs on this. I hope the department realizes the freedom of religion is an important freedom, First Amendment freedom, and there are legitimate reasons to ask for exemptions from federal regulations, including title ix, and that the department take action. With that, im going to yield back the last monday seconds. Rep. Cole you are an example to the committee. Next, we will go to mr. Pocan from wisconsin. appreciate it. Ive been looking forward to today. I come from wisconsin, one of those states that has had a in charters. Ment there was Research Showing that in indiana, louisiana, ohio, washington, d. C. , students receiving vouchers so their test scores drop. You didnt have a chance to answer. Im glad that we have a chance to ask these questions. My experience in the legislature in wisconsin was during the growth period of this program. They turned down kids of disabilities. They can turn down students who are gay or lesbian within these schools. My rural areas often dont have an alternative. The one thing i disagree with you, in wisconsin, those public dollars do go to the private vouchers. They are losing money in rural schools to go to this experiment which hasnt worked. Let me read you a couple things on the wisconsin experience. National public radio does a story on the Voucher Program. Over the years, Research Found test scores flat, lower in some cases, slightly improved in others. On average, students in milwaukees Voucher Programs performed lower than students in traditional Public Schools. Article, a taxpayerfunded Voucher School in milwaukee, they are being sued by parents. Reports indicate that only 7 of their students tested at english Language Proficiency and 0 in math. This is public dollars going to these schools. Would you send your kids to a school where they have 93 of students arent English Proficient and 0 are math profession . Sec. Devos thank you for the question. Im really glad to hear you are from wisconsin and youve had some of the experiences in wisconsin. I was recalling rep. Pocan i only have five minutes. Sec. Devos i want to remind you that polly williams, a democrat city councilwoman, first introduced rep. Pocan and now says it has not lived up to its promise. You are familiar with that, right . She said it didnt live up to the promise. The question was, would you send your children to a school sec. Devos 28,000 students in the city of milwaukee rep. Pocan if i can take my time back, if you are not going to answer the question, let me ask a different question you might be willing to answer. The last expansion of this program, 75 of parents who got this money, their kids already attended the school, and two thirds of the money that went in vouchers to folks who receive this were making more than 100,000. This is tax policy. This is making sure people do you think your federal program will support this sort of thing, so as not to encourage new outlets of education simply to give money to people who attend those schools . Sec. Devos i applaud milwaukee for a powering for empowering parents. I think we need to shift our conversation rep. Pocan sorry if i wasnt clear. Under what you are doing, theres 20 programs, from arts to foreign language, meant to zero under thes budget, but youve got new dollars for this federal experiment. Weve had these dismal results. My question is, will these new dollars go down the failed path in wisconsin, going to people who already attend the schools . This is tax policy. It should be for the ways and means committee. Sec. Devos i know the 28,000 students that are attending schools by the choice of their parents in milwaukee, that is the success for those students rep. Pocan you dont hold any accountability madam secretary, youre not answering the questions. Let me try one more. Please give her an opportunity to answer the question. Rep. Pocan shes answering a different question than im asking. Will you have any accountability standards for these schools . When we started the program in wisconsin, money went to someone who started a school who said he could read a book by putting his hand on it. People bought x for the vouchers lacs with theil vouchers they got from the program. Sec. Devos they are going to decide what kind of flexibility they are going to allow. They have more freedom than ever because of the essa legislation to be creative and innovative. Our conversation needs to shift from talking about schools and buildings and institutions to what is right for individual students. Rep. Pocan will you have accountability standards was the question. Sec. Devos there are accountability standards. That is part of the essa legislation. Rep. Pocan thank you, mr. Chairman. Rep. Cole absolutely. We now go to a member that is probably not a stranger to you, madam secretary. Mr. Moolenaar from michigan. Rep. Moolenaar thank you for being with us today. I want to thank you for being a education our kids in at this important time. From your message today, i think its an Important Message of trusting parents, trusting our local and state educators, and really keeping the focus on kids and what is best for them. I very much appreciate that message. I wanted to bring up a specific topic that i had a recent listening session, and students in my district came forward with concerns regarding the rise of Campus Sexual Assault. It has been recently reported that one in five women and over populations will be a victim of sexual assault. My understanding is you met with the first lady of michigan, who has unveiled a program to combat this growing issue by creating a Campus Sexual Assault workgroup. I guess what im wondering is, is there a role for the federal government in meeting this challenge . I appreciate the fact that you are working with state officials in addressing this concern and i promise the student who asked me this question that i would ask you directly in a hearing. And you for being here. Sec. Devos thanks, congressman. Let me just say i share the concern that you and many others have about the rise in this issue on campuses as well as many other issues. At office of civil rights the department of education is committed to investigating complaints that reach the office of civil rights and we are invested in fully funding ocr. I know that there are a number how the ruleson surrounding this have been implemented and we are looking at those very closely. Ive been meeting with a number of stakeholders, including first lady snyder from michigan, and we take this issue very seriously. It is certainly an issue for the office of civil rights to be engaged with, and for the department of education to grapple with, but we are not at a point where we can communicate any change in direction or any new information at this point. Rep. Moolenaar thank you for that. I would like to keep in contact with you on that. Students across the country, it is a concern. Another area that is a concern, ive heard today from Business Leaders about the need for Skilled Labor and career and Technical Education is a huge priority. The opportunity for jobs in this area in the future i know there are different ideas. The federal government has a role and i appreciated your yearround pell grant statement. Are there partnerships are things we can be doing at the federal level to encourage career and Technical Education . Sec. Devos this clearly is an ona that is of great focus behalf of the president and this administration. Ive had the privilege and opportunity to visit three different Community Colleges since ive been in this job, all of them taking a unique approach to partnering with local businesses that have great needs for skilled workers and skilled trades, and really very high skilled, high paying jobs. I think the way we can best support it in a very targeted manner, focus the dollars to help support Community Colleges in this pursuit. Community colleges and other institutions of higher learning. I think weve done our young people a disservice over the last few decades by suggesting that a Fouryear College or university is the only way you can be a success in life and we have to have a broader conversation around multiple pathways and options for Higher Education, including layered credentialing. Some of these programs that are being implemented at the Community College level that our meeting immediate needs, students are getting the training and education they need , and can go back again a year or two or three later and get additional credentialing. We have many jobs going unfilled in this country today that could be filled and addressed if there is that partnership. It comes down to a local Level Partnership with businesses and their needs. Saw an Amazing Program insult lake city, one in the orlando area, and another in miami, all meeting different needs for different directions. Many of them stem focused. That was a common theme. I think another area we can play a role is to highlight some of the best practices and successes that are happening. Rep. Moolenaar thank you. Rep. Cole we next go to the gentlelady from massachusetts. Thank you, madam secretary, for being with us. A quick question from home. We have 4500 massachusetts students who attended the now defunct american career institute. On january 18, your department told them their loans would be forgiven. It should be completed between 90 and 120 days. We are past 120 days. Students are not getting a response from your department. Can you reaffirm that you are moving forward with this loan forgiveness . Sec. Devos thank you, congresswoman. Those to whom weve made a commitment, we are going to make good on that commitment. That is in process. With regard to that regulation, that is something we are studying carefully and looking at, and we will have something further to say within the next few weeks. Rep. Clark it would be very helpful if you would get back to our attorney general and give some reassurance to our students. I want to go back to the discussion you were having with my colleague from wisconsin. Indiana,recently in where you called opponents of School Choice flat earthers . Is someone who doesnt look at evidence, doesnt look at data, isnt willing to embrace innovation, just keeps believing what they always believe. Weve had some major studies. Millionproposing a 250 increase in pilots that would include vouchers for private schools. Studies from louisiana, indiana, ohio, all show that students who choose private schools in Voucher Programs have experienced, significant losses in achievement i. The studies also show that if we want to achieve good outcomes for students, those come through nonprofit schools that are open to all and are accountable to state and or federal authorities. Youve talked about the flexibility of states as being preeminent. I want to go back to indiana, bloomington in particular, and look at the Lighthouse Christian academy. The Lighthouse Christian academy 665,000 receives over in state vouchers for students to attend their school. They are also clear in their handbook and guidance that if you are from a family where there is homosexual or bisexual activity, their word, not mine, or practicing alternate gender identity, you may be denied admission. If this school, which obviously is approved to discriminate against lgbt students in indiana, if indiana applies for this federal funding, will you stand up that this school be open to all students . Sec. Devos thank you, congresswoman, for your question with regard broadly to School Choice. Rep. Clark it is actually kind of narrow. Sec. Devos i would like to refer back to your question about the comment rep. Clark im sure you would. I want to ask particularly, is there a line for you on states flexibility . You are the backstop for students and their right to access quality education. Would you in this case say, we are going to overrule, and you cannot discriminate on sexual orientation, race, special needs, in our Voucher Programs will that be a guarantee for our students . Sec. Devos for states that have programs that allow parents to make choices, they set up the rules around that. Rep. Clark so that is a no. Do you see any circumstance where the federal department of education under your leadership would say that a school was not qualify . What if they said, we are not accepting africanamerican students, but that was ok with the state do you see any situation where you would step in . Sec. Devos i think the office of civil rights and our title ix protections are broadly applicable across the board. When it comes to parents making choices rep. Clark this isnt about parents making choices. This is about use of federal dollars. Would you say to indiana, that school cannot discriminate against lgbt students if you want to receive federal dollars, or would you say the state has flexibility in this situation . Yes or no . Sec. Devos continue to have flexibility rep. Clark so if i understand your testimony, there is no situation of discrimination or exclusion, that if a state approved it for its Voucher Program, that you would step in and say, that is not how we are going to use federal dollars . Theres no situation, if the state approved it, that you would put the state flexibility over our students, is that your testimony . Sec. Devos i think a hypothetical rep. Clark it is not a hypothetical. This is a real school. Rep. Cole the gentleladys time has expired but i want to allow the secretary to answer. Sec. Devos i go back to the bottom line is, we believe parents are the best equipped to make choices for their childrens schooling and education decisions, and too many children today are trapped in schools that dont work for them. We have to do Something Different. We have to do Something Different than continuing a topdown, onesizefitsall approach. That is the focus. States and local communities are best equipped to make these decisions on behalf of rep. Clark i am shocked that you cannot come up with one example of discrimination that you would stand up for students. I go now to the gentleman from idaho, mr. Simpson. Rep. Simpson im sorry i had to step out and finish a hearing on the other side. Treo justsupporter of like you are. In your answer to senator collins during your confirmation as the chairman is, i think most members of this program are, and you said you dropped the mcnair programs because they were outside of the congressional intent of what we had planned. If we fund those programs, would they be within congressional intent . Sec. Devos if that is how you defined it, i guess they would be. Forgiving you the rationale what weve proposed in the budget. We believe those programs fall outside of the scope. Weve made some tough choices and decisions with presenting our appeal for the budget. Rep. Simpson we will have those discussions. There are always differences between what any Administration Proposes and what Congress Wants to do. Supportedfairly well programs within congress. Program,us they encouraged you to use your discretion to review and scored more than 77 applications to the upward Bound Program that were rejected for minor formatting issues like failure to double space and title graphical errors. Would you please update the subcommittee on your actions in response to that directive and please outline what steps the department will make to provide opportunity for the applications to be considered for funding. Sec. Devos thanks for that question. This Grant Application progress was under the purview of the previous administration. The process was opened and closed prior to my coming into the job. Issuee found about the with regard to formatting errors, it was after the competition had closed. We looked at all viable legal remedies to try to address it and did not find any. Since then, you have seen fit to , andpriate 50 million going back and looking at it again, we believe that has materially changed our available options. We are going to use those funds, the 50 million, to reconsider those applications that were considered not viable because of formatting errors. So that is going to be our remedy. But let me just say that this issue apparently has been going on through four different secretaries unaddressed. The moment i found out about it, i issued a policy indicating that we are not going to reject applications for any competitive process based on formatting, that this is a bureaucratic requirement that we should be rid of now, and we are. Nothing Going Forward will be held to those same formatting requirements. With regard to this issue, which if you had any idea how much time it has chewed up internally for us, you would be amazed, but we have because of that Material Change with the new appropriation, have found a way to be able to address that particular issue. Rep. Simpson thank you. I appreciate that. Puts 1. 2t also billion in for federal impact it, a 67 million cut below impact aid payments currently for states like idaho and states across the country that have federal facilities. What is your justification for the cuts in the Impact Aid Program . Sec. Devos the portion of the program that weve proposed to eliminate is one that is not tied to any students. There are no students being supported in that particular federal land area. Since those locales have had years toyears four consider this, we thought it would be appropriate that they would have figured it out by now. Rep. Simpson i appreciate that answer. Thank you for being here today. I look forward to working with you. Rep. Cole i think the gentleman. We now move to my good friend from california, ms. Lee. Rep. I would like to introduce our foster youth shadow. Her oldest daughter will be starting [applause] starting she will be kindergarten this fall. Let us keep in mind for young families who will be affected by our decisions. Im kind of hurt that she heard your response to congresswoman clarks question with regard to discrimination against students. It has been the federal government that allowed me to go to school. It is up to the parents and local communities, even if young people are being discriminated against, it is the parents and schools, and to take the federal governments responsibility out of that is just appalling and sad. I see in your budget it reflects exactly what you said. You are cutting 1. 7 million from the office of civil rights. To me it is outrageous. I have to go back to your statements when you said that pioneers when it comes to School Choice, which ignores the fact that many black students, hbcus were their only choice. For too long, black students werent allowed to enroll in white institutions. I could not go to Public School, madam secretary. And say, asit here our secretary, that it is ok that parents and local communities can discriminate is sad, shocking and disappointing. Budget, the your areident said hbcus critical for students, but i dont think you believe that theuse you zero out strengthening degree programs, which is extremely important for hbcus. Im wondering why you are doing that . Say cut so many programs 24 programs that minority students and low income students rely on. Community learning centers, thats for low income. You are zeroing out American History and civics academics. You are leveling out. Grants. L you are in limited in them. You are eliminating special olympics, pull . 6 million. 12 point 6 million. I wonder what youre thinking is about this budget and all vulnerable students who really deserve a shot at a good, quality Public Education. Directorate of us director devos. Dir. Devos i want to be very clear. I am not in any way suggesting that students should not be protected and not be in a safe and secure and nurturing learning environment. They all should have that opportunity. About continued to talk that need for all students to have a safe and secure and nurturing learning environment. Going totment is continue and will continue to investigate any complaints or any issues surrounding allegations of discriminate in. We have no proposal to change any of that. Talk about states assuming more authority and flexibility in how they implement their programs for their students, nothing about that changes our desire to ensure that students have a safe and secure and nurturing learning environment. Mrs. Lee referring to congresswoman clarke. Can you answer her question very quickly . Dir. Devos i would rather talk hbcus andbc you our commitment by continuing to fund at previous levels. Lee i dont think that is what hbcus have requested. The cuts in the Masters Program is just wiping out i mean, you are you limiting that for the most part with hbcus. Its eliminated. Dir. Devos its a new program that has not been part of this budget. It is not eliminated because it has not been funded yet. Lee we funded it at 7. 508, the strengthening 7. 5degree program million, the strengthening Masters Degree Program. Dir. Devos we are working with a budget prior to the omnibus in april, a few weeks ago. Mrs. Lee so you are illuminated or eliminating it or not . Dir. Devos no. The figures were put together prior to the omnibus. Mrs. Lee so you are going to restore the 7. 5 million in the strengthening Masters Degree Program . Dir. Devos that will be up to congress to decide how to handle that nominally. Chair to be fair, i pointed this out at the beginning. This is a case where Congress Said we were late meeting our omnibus fund. That is our fault. They went ahead and develop their budget. So they did not have that guidance. In fairness to the secretary, they did not have that information and they did not know congress had authorized the program. It puts her in a difficult spot. It is nobodys fault. We have overlapping documents that create some discrepancies on occasion. I have a great deal of respect for my good friend from california. I look forward to continuing that. With that, we will go to mr. O womack, the vice chairman of the committee. Bys chairman womack thank you. It hasnt been said since i have been here, but public deserves to be said. We are beginning to see the early stages of a muchneeded, about how wesion begin the process of getting our ,ederal budget under control and the inescapable fact that many other programs we are talking about are on the discretionary side of the budget, and it is being squeezed by runaway entitlement programs and the inability to address those, which becomes a very difficult political problem for the congress. I understand that. But its the truth. Of said we have not taken the particular discussion, but we will save that for another day. A pretty good discussion with my friend from michigan. That is where i want to focus my question. The question the response that you give mr. Molinari is geared to what we should be doing with our Community Colleges. You just made a statement that i completely agree with about about what we have suggested to previous generations of about a success. O that that pathway has to be through a college degree. I am of the strong opinion, based on my travels in my district, and in my conversations with my job creators, that a lot of the really good opportunities out there exist today for young people who could leave high withoutmaybe not even darkening the doors of a college environment, and go right to work with proper training and proper skills and proper certifications, right to work with really good paying jobs, a fulfilling opportunity and a great at a great career and emerging technologies. I believe in my heart that a lot of this training should be happening long before the decision is made so go or not to go to college. Isave in my mind that that probably somewhere in the late junior high stage, based on aptitude. So im going to ask you. Time in a Young Persons educational life, given the tremendous demand for jobs today, skills today, that a lot of our graduates do not possess . Is this something we should be doing in our High School Curriculums . Sec. Devos thank you, congressman. The whole area of career and career preparedness and understanding the wide range of options that one has is an area that definitely needs a lot more discussion and a lot more Energy Around it. Today, a lot of the funding for things that support these efforts are kind of bifurcated. Many of them in the Labor Committee and the Labor Department and some in the department of education. But the notion that there are many different opportunities for school iseyond high not really addressed at an early enough age. You. Ee with a couple of places i visited dualhave really great Enrollment Programs have started to address this. But i think there is an opportunity to have young people exposed to some of these opportunities much earlier, in apprenticeships and internships. We should be talking about how to encourage and support the growth of these in a major way. I had an opportunity to visit a unique high school yesterday at one of the crystal ray schools. These are catholic high schools, as a way to help support and fund the operations of the school, the students go to work in a business one day a week. So, gain a whole and personal experience and confidence, but also help to support their education. They come out of high school with a much broader understanding of the professional world, the work world, and options and opportunities they have. Those kinds of unique and innovative approaches to exposing young people to a wide range of possibilities early on our things we should be encouraging. I go back to this notion that state and local communities are best equipped to try these things. They are the best laboratories of democracy. We should be highlighting those that are working well and encouraging others to emulate them. Womack in this, we are in total agreement. I yield back my time. Cole we have great interlocking career, tech system where young people go back and forth and get exposed to technical kinds of career that may be more appropriate for them. Ohio has a similar system. I think we are the two unique systems in the country. I would go to my good friend from tennessee who has had to shuffle back and forth and do a lot of hearings. Mr. Fleischmann, you are up next. Rep. Fleischmann it is a privilege to have you here before us today. I represent the people of the great Third District in tennessee. Was over at the energy and water subcommittee, so there was a big delay. Would like toi mention how impressed i was with the emphasis you placed on School Choice. Its imperative we give parents the options they need to make sure their children are properly prepared for the future. I was especially impressed with the building evidence around the innovation section of the budget. I think we really need investment in Research Activities to allow School District to identify what works and what doesnt. On an area of concern, as you may know, i am an advocate and i view myself as a champion for Computer Science education, Computer Science literacy. I think there is tremendous bipartisan support for this endeavor. I was a little concern about the proposed cuts to title iv part a a. Ants authorized under ess we worked hard to make sure states would be able to use some of this money for Computer Science education. There are a half million computer jobs computing jobs not fulfilled in the united states. However, our country on the graduated 42,969 Computer Science specialists last year. It is estimated that between 2016 and 2020, it is projected there will be 960,000 job openings in Computer Science if current graduation patterns continue. Only 334,000 graduates will fill them. So my question is do you agree with me and my colleagues from both sides of the aisle that we need partnerships with the private sector, which is looking to hire americans for Computer Science jobs, schools from kindergarten through high school, to help ensure students from all walks of life are prepared for Computer Science jobs that need to be field now and in the filled now and in the future . Work to maken we sure that we prepare students for these jobs . Sec. Devos i definitely share your interest in ensuring that students have exposure to stem subjects and have opportunity to pursue really robust programs in that area. Anecdote, i would refer to a high school that my husband started, a Charter High School that focused on aviation, that had a distinct stem focus and has been doing an amazing job of attracting kids that would have not been likely to be a part of a High School Like that. With regard to specifics in the budget wass developed before the continuing resolution was addressed. We have a 20 million experimental grant first stem competition. I think that is a good place and a good role for the department. It is an important place for the stem to be placed around at the state level. They are putting the class together. They have the opportunity to customize it for the students in their state and the local communities. I had an interesting conversation last week with superintendents from one from a rural district, one from a very large urban area, another from a mediumsized city, and the other one was actually a statewide superintendent how they have implemented coding programs in their districts. I believe the organization they partner with they partnered with entered 20 of the School District in the country. I think we need to continue to encourage that. I hesitate to say we should mandate it from the man asked the federal level mandate it from the federal level. But we should encourage that, to put their plans together. Rep. Fleischmann . I agree with you. Our innercity schools in chattanooga have been underserved. It was inspiring to go there and see high School Students all the way down to second graders engaging in coding. I would prefer working with you on Computer Science literacy and with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Thank you. We now move to miss robie. Its robie rep. Roby good to see you again. Looking forward to working with you in oversight of this committee. And thank you for your service to this country. I want to convey my appreciation on behalf of all of the students and parents and educators in the state of alabama. It was a year ago when your predecessor was here, sitting right where you are now. Thead a Good Exchange about role of the federal government in decisions concerning standards in curriculums in the classroom. I want to back up and give you some background in my involvement. Back in 2013, i introduced a bill that prohibited the federal government from making special upon a grants contingent state is using a certain curriculum or policy. For three years, we worked together get that language included in the copper has every right of no child left behind, which is now the law. Thankfully, we finally succeeded. Our strong state authority language was included. So back to my exchange with your predecessor, which was taking place during the very critical implementation process, what i was trying to get a straight answer on then was whether the officials in the department of education would simply ignore the law and continue their old habit of exercising undue and inappropriate influence on state education decisions. You have to remember that that kind of thing was commonplace from the previous administration. I believe that former secretary king and i got to a good place. But i think we can get to a better one today. Number one, do you acknowledge that the law now expressly for the coercion of states to adopt certain education standards and curriculum, including common core . Sec. Devos absolutely. And will the department follow the spirit and letter of the law . Sec. Devos i will. Rep. Roby you can count on me among those in the state of alabama who believe that high standards that challenge students build Critical Thinking skills. Im glad that our state has made an effort to raise its standard in recent years, when we have lagged behind for so long. Like theo collaboration with other states to share best practices. However, the intrusion of the federal government into that process, directly or indirectly, is inappropriate and it comes with a political agenda from washington. This has bred a lot of confusion and mistrust. It has contributed to a volatile policy environment. I appreciate your commitment and your forthrightness on this issue. Other, chi would like to make about this, i am welcome to hear. Sec. Devos we share that concern. You have my commitment that the department will implement and follow the law that you have set out. Would love to see a competition on the part of all the states to outdo one another on how high they set their standards and how high we should be shooting for excellence across the board, but in no way should it be a topdown, onesizefitsall solution from the federal government. With state flexibility and opportunities here, they do indeed shoot i, and that they are very shoot high, and they are ready to point to others when they are not living up to the task of preparing all of our students for a great future. Rep. Roby thank you so much for your commitment. I appreciated. I know the secretary has a hard stop at 1 00. We will not be able to do a second round. We have both the Ranking Member and the full chairman here. I think we all stretched our time be on five minutes anyway. I do want to allow my good friend, the Ranking Member, to make any comments or closing statements and i will do the same. I think its wonderful that delauro i think its wonderful. While we can talk about and give a lot of lipservice, this is not a continuing resolution issue. There was a decision made in this budget to cut the career and Technical Education program by 15 . 168 million. You cant talk out of both sides of your mouth. You are either putting the money where you believe we will make the best possible bang for the buck or we should just be silent about it. Dont talk about it and do something about it. Let me talk about vouchers for a moment. Gold standards, evaluation of washington, d. C. , the only federally funded Voucher Program , found that vouchers negatively impacted student achievement. Students performed significantly worse in math the first year they use the vouchers, in both math and reading. Similar resorts similar results from louisiana. You continue to say that title i has not been cut. Title i has been cut five cut by 75 million. I dont want any process piece. What my colleague, mislead, talk miss the, talked about. It would impose real harm on our countrys students. I have to make the point again with regard to vouchers and withren who are disabled, disabilities. The mckay program, with information i have, we looked into it, no Due Process Rights under idea. Due processup rights granted by individuals if you accept a federal voucher. No accountability for the participating schools. They do not have to be accredited. They do not have to provide any evidence of the quality of the program. No evidence of Student Success because students do not take standardized tests in Public Schools. It is difficult to compare their performance with Public Schools. Key nate scores have declined or are flat between 2009 and 2015. I made those corrections because we cant if we are going to have a robust conversation about education, then lets put the facts on the table and go from there. This is a budget and i characterize it, mr. Chairman, in the Ag Appropriations Committee this morning it is kewell. Cruel. It is it is inhumane. It is heartless. A 9. 2 billion cut to education. The fact of the matter is, what my colleague talked about, there is 10 theres less money going to high poverty areas. The teachers are more likely to be novices in these places. Those underserved areas will be hurt. We, none of us, in here will be hurt. We will be fine. Our kids and grandkids will be ok. But millions of kids around this country are going to suffer, what has been done with the 9. 2 billion dollars cut to our education programs, which is supposed to serve our youngsters, make sure they have a good future and a bright. Uture and im going to fight this budget, mr. Chairman, with every fiber of my body because it is wrong to do this to our kids. Cole i have no doubt. [laughter] madam secretary, i want to thank you very much for being here today. I want to thank you for your testimony and your professionalism. I particularly like your emphasis on choice and get as many options to young people as we possibly can. You certainly laid that out robustly in your budget. I know you had to make some tough decisions. We actually have three cabinet level jurisdictions here. We are giving an allocation and we have to make tough decisions, too. So we have a great deal of sympathy for that. I want to assure you you see committee. Ited we appreciate you engaging with us today. We look forward to further opportunities for doing that. Every member in this committee, on a bipartisan basis, we want to see you succeed because we think your success represents the success of americas students. We know you care about that deeply. You demonstrated that over a lifetime. The president cares about that. We look forward to working with you in the common endeavor Going Forward. Thank you. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2017]