Engaged in throughout the country today . Well, its a very good day to be reminded of what the founding of america really means, and to really consider the things of which are founders really put this american experiment together, and literally change the course of history. I think about, you know, my grandparents and great grandparents they came to this country for Economic Opportunity and religious freedom, and i think about the many ways also that we have sort of forgotten about the importance of the constitution and our founding documents. And its a really good time to refocus and Pay Attention again to what they really mean and what you they mean for our fut. Fantastic. And throughout the country today we are in late september. Schools are open all across the country in ways weve never seen before. Theres all virtual. This hybrid. Even in the network of schools that are used to lead in new york, 85 of the parents said they want to learn virtually. Whats your view of whats happening around the country, and is there any federal guidance that schools should operating on now in terms of opening . Me just comment first to the things weve done from the federal level to help schools to be able to make the decisions on how they reopen. Immediately when we had the shutdown we extended as much flexibility and autonomy to the states and local distance as possible under the law, and we immediately got distributed all of the cares funds, or about 30 billion appropriate for education, and gave the schools the flexibility around their current youre funny as well so that they could immediately use finding to do with the niche do about the students whether cleaning supplies or personal Protection Equipment or technology. We know that for many thats been a big challenge. And so we have continued to help support that, that work, that effort. And also continued with whole of government approach frankly with the Coronavirus Task force, with all of the recommendations and the continued updated information from the cdc and the nih. All of those things, the tools of educators we need to be able to make decisions how best to reopen schools forget. Sure. And are you seeing any best practices across the country, any particular districts that are standing out in terms of how they are managing these challenges . Im sure there are many but i had the opportunity to visit one recently in georgia. I think they did a really good job. They did a good job of reaching out to all of their constituents, the families, the students, all of the faculty, the teachers, and worked together to come up with solutions on how theyre going to reopen, offering families a range of options. So the students there, about i think threequarters of them, back to school in person, and the balance was working remotely. Some of those working remotely also at some classes that maybe it was a lab they would come in for, and they were having great success. They were well underway in their second or third week i believe. They were a good example i think of what leaders can and should do to really engage all of their customers or their constituents in the decisionmaking process. I have been a frankly disappointed in places where they have not given families the input and the option to choose whats best for their families. We know that for so many kids being together in person in the classroom with peers and with their teachers is really an imperative for their own health, or a lot of measures of health. Absolutely. And all too many students across the country are starting School Without that option today. Are there any incentives you are creating to encourage schools to start in that way and provide those kinds of options . Its really a matter of state policy primarily, but clearly the president and i have talked about the necessity to offer this as an option, an important option, and we will continue to do so. I think congress is considering ways that they might financially incentivize and or reward those who are actually providing in person instruction. But i think if nothing else the last several months has really laid bare the fact that our k12 education approach has been pretty steady for a lot of years, and it isnt able to pivot very quickly in many cases. And parents are finding themselves frustrated or sort of left high and dry in places that are not really addressing the immediate needs of students. And and i worry very much about those who are the most vulnerable. You know, students with disabilities were not receiving Guidance Services that they need and, frankly, ive heard from more than one parent who are just heartbroken over the way that their child has regressed just in the last few months. So this is really an opportune time for leaders to think differently about what we need to do to ensure that all students have the kind of access they need to get the education the way that works for them. Sure. He mentioned the cares act and there were critical funds in that legislation. Where do things stand now with the heroes act, the heals act first of all what other provisions in their your most hopeful for as a relates to education . What do we need to do to get it across the finish line . As you probably know, the Senate Last Week considered a bill that didnt make it through the full senate because of their procedures, but for the first time in recent history, well, since the washington opportunity scholarship program, or that have the senate voted in favor of a package that included a very Significant School choice provision. It would have provided it will provide, and a very hopeful it will continue to get considered, but it will provide emergency funding for schools, small, private come mainly faithbased schools across the country. We know theres over 150 Catholic School so far the said they cant continue to operate because of the Economic Impacts of the virus. It will provide funding for students attending those schools and allow for families to be able to continue to make that choice if even economically impacted. And then it would establish a tax credit at the federal level that states could choose to participate in to expand school choice, education freedom options in all of the states that chose to participate. So importantly, we hear a lot about today the families that are putting together homeschool consortiums or learning pods or, you know, some new combination of those approaches. And it would allow for families to be able to get resources to access those kinds of opportunities, and importantly, families they cant afford to make those decisions today. You and the president have been a huge champion of choice on the part of parents so how would that work . As you mentioned there are many families who for a number of reasons have just said they feel more comfortable educating their own children at home or micro schools or pods. Is it possible in the near future parents would be able to get those resources that otherwise they would be tax, would get that money back for their own education . I think it is very possible. The big thing standing in the way, frankly, are the teachers unions that have really dug in their heels and continue to insist that members of a Certain Party tow the line and continue to protect the status quo. We see this across the country, but we know that more than ever before parents are aware of their childrens educational experience. They so speed is a front row seat now. They saw through the spring how well their particular school did with pivoting to online or remote instruction. There also expensing now how the schools are doing with actually meeting their needs. There is an awakening to this notion that we cant have one size its all approach, and more and more parents i believe are going to continue to insist that they have the opportunity to make the choice thats right for their children. And that is at its core a justice issue, frankly, for all families. Im always the optimist but im even more optimistic today that the demand for this is going to continue to grow. I firmly believe that there are a lot of teachers who know this to be the right thing for them and their students as well frankly, given families more choices and more freedom to make those choices will bring forth more opportunities for teachers to teach in an environment, if that is right for them, and that they are really energized by as well. So you might say, so to those who say more choice could be more in equity, how would you address that, how would you address that concern . I actually think it will be more equitable if families have the resources that are designated, that are already being spent on their children, though through a system or through a building, if those resources were attached to the child come at a like use the mental image of a backpack. Every kid has some kind of a backpack going to school. If the resources for the child fall in that childs backpack to what ever the parents decide is going to be the best place for them, it is going to bring more opportunity, more equity, and, frankly, more innovation, and is going to meet more kids needs. Its going to meet more kids where they are. I mean, i think about today hearing from students who say by the time they are in fifth grade aboard the art of school, it doesnt need to be that way. It is a right time for that kind of change and innovation, but through empowering families to make those right choices for the kids. I mean, we hear about the dramatic increase in home schooling and those who want to homeschool. Well, if you have Additional Resources to be able you can do that. Whatever your particular families need is, whether you need to, you need to be able to stay home to do it yourself for your child, to have resources to support that, or to help with hiring a tutor, you know, you name it, you would be able to help guide your childs future any much more hands on and intentionally. We think application could happen this year . Im very optimistic that when the Congress Comes back to consider a package, at this provision will be part of that. And, of course, president trumpt trumps will sign that in a heartbeat. Fantastic. As you mentioned its a constitution day, and a reminder of the importance of understanding american history, the right and responsibility of all of our citizens and get theres a lot of debate in the country right now potentially reframing american history, looking back on things like the legacy of slavery. When you think about what kids should be learning about this idea of american exceptionalism, what do you think about that . What does that mean . America is an exceptional country and we know this because there are literally billions of people the world around you want to come here, want to be a part of the american idea. And yet i think there are a lot of young people, you know, even my childrens generation and younger, that probably have not been exposed to harsh history in a way that helps them really appreciate from whence we came, and the need to protect what we have to build on what we have, to acknowledge where we have to continue to improve. But not to forget what our foundations are. Im very optimistic with some of the refocus on the need for more civics instruction, for more intentional instruction in history. You know, we test a lot. We test a lot of mathematics and reading, but we dont, we dont really gauge where and how students are doing in their knowledge of history. In fact, there is every few years make test nate test, the most recent one the into flash as a matteroffact really showed us some very discouraging data, i believe over half of the students have no idea what the lincolndouglas debates were, for example, and what the significance of those debates were for our country and our countrys history. When you have that level of ignorance or lack of understanding, it doesnt bode well for our future. I really am excited about some of the things that youve been involved with, with 1776 project and would love to have you come it more about that. I know were having a conversation, so lets do that. Im very excited. Part of the consortium of a wide range of intellectual scholars, local activists led by bob woodson, a leader for the last 40 years helping thousands of people across the country essentially become agents of their own uplift. When we saw the New York Times launch the 1619 project and curriculum, which frames american such a way that it says founding ideals were false when they were written come we thought thats not the interpretation for many who live in this country. And so we have created a new curriculum called the 1776 unites curriculum. It will feature largely unknown african americans, past and present, who embrace the ideals of Free Enterprise and faith and family and hard work as a way to be agents of the own uplift, to go from persecution for prosperity. Its a much more aspirational view of the opportunities that exist in this country and we think its very important that young people get a sense of the legacy of excellence that exists in this country. I think that sounds really wonderful. Im often asked should the federal government advance some kind of a National Civics curriculum . I feared doing that, frankly. The federal government, the department of education does not have a role in a national curriculum. Curriculum is best left to the states and local, you know, local districts, local education agencies. But we can talk about curriculum that actually honors and respects our history and embraces all of the parts of our history, and continues to build on that because we know that if we do not know and understand history, we are bound to repeat it and we are bound to repeat the bad parts of history as well as perhaps the good parts. But im thrilled to hear about your involvement with the 1776 project or 1776 unites. The second word is very important because the idea is to recognize that these fundamentals around hard work, resiliency, optimism, those are available to every young person in the country. Hes not things we have to be divided on. This is what unites us as a country. This is what makes america uniquely america. So we have gone through this very tough moment in our country, but hopefully there are opportunities for innovation. Are there any things youve seen that come out of this covid period in terms of Distance Learning or new kinds of Instruction Professional Development that you think again are worthy of mention . Well i think theres a host of them and im sure there are many that are not even aware of, but i think it in a crisis that is also probably the best moment for creation and ingenuity to come through, and i think that we have seen educators really rise to the occasion in many places and in many ways. We have also seen parents who didnt consider themselves to be educators really doing things differently and trying new things that they actually are vying to be quite successful. I just think about the anecdote of a four in texas who thought it would be interesting early on in the shutdown to interview just people he knew through the course of his work and neighbors and so forth, and have him just, and talk about what their job was and what it took to get to do their job, whether education was, what their experience was, just talk about it. And i think what the benefit for, reportedly tens of thousands of families, students came and watched these interviews. But what a benefit for young kids, and ive been an advocate for kids as early as middle school to really get a broader understanding of what possibilities are out there in the world, to expose him to that in in a new and different way. Expose them. Again, i think this moment is going to really bring forward a lot of real Creative Solutions to a lot of intransigent problems and or issues educationally. Im optimistic that is also going to result longerterm in k12 education looking very different for, you know, a big percentage of students. This summer i was part of a team of people who considered a very innovative approach to Distance Learning where we had some of the best teachers in the country, only about 14 of them working with about 500 partner teachers teaching 12,000 kids in 17 states, just a very interesting way to leverage your top talent because once you lose the four walls of the classroom so you can take your best teachers and reach thousands of kids. So are there any teen years, 20 or so that what you of the innovations that will remain, that will survive this time . Well, i think a much more robust use of technology in a positive way too, as you just mentioned to really leverage great teaching, to leverage, you know, different kinds of experiences in different ways that we havent yet thought about, and i think, i also am optimistic that has families, some families, depending on where you live, experience the outdoors in a whole new way. I think were going to see learning look at differently for some kids that really do well out in nature, and experience their learning in more robust ways that way. We talked a little bit about teachers unions. How would you say we can best support teachers . I think first of all, giving teachers the honor and respect that Great Teachers need and deserve. And i think about a round table that i had a couple of years ago where it was made up of teachers who had been either teachers of the year in their state or their district and theyd done their victory lap. Theyd gone and made all of our speeches to all of their neighboring districts or whatever the, you know, the setting was and had come back after that year into the classroom and to a person, the ones i talked with, they had ultimately left the classroom, something they loved better than more than anything else, primarily because they were sort of put back in the box. You know, they had done their thing and the message they clearly received was, okay, youve done youve had your victory lap, now you need to come back and just, you know, get in line. Oh, boy. And i think thats tragic. I mean, there are so many great talented teachers who never get to shine because theyre not allowed to do so because of peer pressure or whatever, you know, whatever the environment may be, negative environment in their particular building. But where there is good leadership, where there is opportunity to really, you know, show for merit to win, those teachers are the ones that we need to continue to support and give more opportunity to and so, i think we do that and weve had a proposal to give Teachers Pro