U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Praises President Trump's Call to Increase Access to Quality Education for All Children




March 1, 2017


Washington, DC - - (February 28, 2017) - - Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released the following statement after President Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress:

Tonight, President Trump delivered on his promise to support school choice and offer students access to quality options. No child, regardless of their ZIP code or family income, should be denied access to quality education.

For far too long, Washington has resisted calls by parents, students and teachers to enact meaningful reforms. Tonight’s speech marked a dramatic shift toward a future that puts the needs of our nation’s students first.

Together, we can help our nation’s students: those trapped in underperforming schools and those slipping through the cracks. One of those students was Denisha Merriweather, a guest of the First Lady at tonight’s address. Denisha is living proof that school choice can break the cycle of poverty and provide transformative change. As a result of Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program, Denisha became the first in her family to graduate high school, college and later this May, with a master’s degree in social work. Denisha’s story is but one example of the opportunity we should afford to millions of students across our country.

I look forward to working with President Trump and Congress to implement the reforms needed to help students learn and thrive. Kids are 100 percent of our future. We owe it to them to give them the education needed to succeed.


Information source: U.S. Department of Education