‘The system is failing too many kids’ — text of Education Secretary DeVos’s speech at CPAC
Here are the full remarks Education Secretary Betsy DeVos delivered Thursday at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference, as provided by the Education Department:
Hello! Thank you for that warm welcome. I always love the energy and enthusiasm CPAC brings together every year.I’m Betsy DeVos. You may have heard some of the “wonderful” things the mainstream media has called me lately. I, however, pride myself on being called a mother, a grandmother, a life partner, and perhaps the first person to tell Bernie Sanders to his face that there’s no such thing as a free lunch.The media has had its fun with me, and that’s OK.My job isn’t to win a popularity contest with the media or the education establishment here in Washington. My job as Secretary of Education is to make education work for students.But today, we know the system is failing too many kids.Why?Because our nation’s test scores have flatlined.Because 1.3 million children drop out of school every year.Because the previous administration spent seven billion of your dollars on “School Improvement Grants,” thinking they could demonstrate that money alone would solve the problem. Yet their own report, issued as they walked out the door, showed that it had zero impact on student outcomes and performance.They tested their model, and it failed … miserably.This is not an indictment of teachers. We all know good public school teachers. My mom was one. Good teachers make a real difference. Good teachers deserve to be honored and compensated accordingly.But the education establishment has been blocking the doorway to reforms, fixes and improvements for a generation.This not a Left or Right issue. This is an American issue. We need education to work for every child.Let me ask you: Do you believe parents should be able to choose the best school for their child regardless of their ZIP code or family income?(YES!) Me too. And so does President Trump.We have a unique window of opportunity to make school choice a reality for millions of families. Both the President and I believe that providing an equal opportunity for a quality education is an imperative that all students deserve.Now let me ask you: How many of you are college students?The fight against the education establishment extends to you too. The faculty, from adjunct professors to deans, tell you what to do, what to say, and more‘The system is failing too many kids’ — text of Education Secretary DeVos’s speech at CPAC - The Washington Post:
