An area such as School Choice. This is an hour mosted by the American Writer of thirn. This is an hour. All right, i think we are going to get started. I think we are giving people a little extra time because it is a maze to get here. We are missing aft, the president wihine berger. She will be joining us as soon as she get here. U are at the changing politics of f 12. Thank you for being here. Dpwa has a great record of whats going on. I am going to leave the bio to you guys. You can look in the program and see the extended bios but i will run down the line here. We have lyndsey burke, the education drepgter for the heritage foundation. Jefferys is the president of de conde democrats for a lifl rights reform. Marty is west. Aels always previously an negotiation policy adviser to senator lamar alexander, the republican of tennessee. A quick housekeeping note, this is one of the first candle at ewa. Everything is on the record so it is a fair game. It is a little warning. This is live stream. 1993 want to provide a lot of time for your questions. Well forgo opening remarks and sort of dive right into this. I wanted to take a minute to set the scene that we are currently in. So i will just ask, six months ago how many of you thought thoul be in this poll serious condition are today. No one, really . Okay. We kind of missed the ball on this. I dont think many of us expected to have President Trump or maybe we did not expected of a republican would be in the white house or maybe not this republican. Hes certainly doing things lift dui as he has pledge to do. He with transitioning from care, prioritytize technician and break from the echo and super enchargement. And expanding office for sifrl rights. Putting for uk 12 and so on and so forth. We have an administration far seening the agenda. It focuses a lot on rolling back on the roles of the federal government. Thosed to slash 9 billion from federal Education Program and e dim nate dozens like teachers impression. Well get to all of that. We have an exatio exation secretary whose confirmation raises questions she has really gone through the ringer in terms of the los angeles e few months. Having been given commencement age and similar ly and her main focus is cold choose and creating if school futures. This is all happening against the backdrop of staults intima e intimates the law was trafted with this in diets, republican is controlling both chain of kang the white house or it is unclear of any major education is going to be moved given the inter party fighting. Where does it all leave us . A lot to cover. Should we expect any movement on education legislation, whats to become the office of civil rights. Most importantly what should we Pay Attention to as we go back home. I am going to drive right into it. Well save at least 20 minutes at the end for all of you guys. I want to start right off zr talk about cool choice. Setting top of everyones having questions today. Some people in this room i feel like might be interested or not expecting that you dont really want the Trump Administration going there. If you can talk a little bit about that where you come from there and ive us a little idea of what states are you interested in and things that are coming and what you are i think we got a great panel. School choice front. You twaelotally mail it. Heritage have been a huge proe proportianes of School Choice. Saving is thes k is where the education eyes movement is going right now. We see of the all of apoach aproesh. Having said all of that, and, prefacing kr this the fact that i spend my waking hours thinking of how to expand school chipoin i think thats really key is whether or not it is a new program. And i think thats that he with a fair amounts or disked by engaging in a new large scale federal program. Stays are joining it on their own already. We are seeing state after state and year after year adopting new legislations. We are seeing more and more at School Choice. Then there is the practical matter that we are all aware of that 890 of education tunding is state and local who was tractly speaking. Thats where the dollar ares. I if we stop lishing, it is hard to reckon sill the creation of a new program reloosing the interperspective that i hold from the extensive respect, really advancing those two dense of tandem. So starting a new national program, it is a pretty problematic in that regard. I think it continues to solid fie. I think well get into this later, you know, the word on the street is it is federal tax credits that maybe aroached thats under korgconsideration. I think every opportunity to make a decision of what the government looks like, the federal government will likely relagulat reruulated. So i think he know maybe the sue is not worth the hike on the federal stool choice. Marty, i want to ask you about the viable at the of this. In hear President Trump trekking 20 billion. Be saw in the budget or School Districts lebron james lo allow the students to the school of their choice and also a 250 million priority stool ucher which is we ne how it will be structure, as lynnny mention, terrible poi tax credit down the road. How does this work in congress and what should we be watching for or is it a reality . Republicans now control both the house and the senate. That led a lot of people to expect that it would be politically very easy to push the agaenda from washington. 74 you did not mention. They have been very effective. There is not overwhelming republican support for anyway wr for more effort. That is why you have bean in the past, the house being reluctant to britain up for a vote, proposals allowing titling one dar to follow school of their choice. There is not a and an administration is trying to take advantage of the control of the government of cold within sesa, is existed that would be in the law applying up to lie and looking at funding system and allowing the children going to the Public School that i they atoemt. To tum ps perep tain you even that is not necessary as school ice choice program. It is really a fees to try to md denverize a addictive way with federal 8 foreman. But, well it does not go nuch bond that. I just really think that there is an uphill batter facing a lot of these proposals. And sour far we heard a lot about empowering state to take this decision on their own and not getting the government to do it for them. For this administration you are going to see more and more and the the nuks of the back grop which twitchs some of the power back to states and locals. To talk about what ef seen in testimonies, the local School District levels as some of the shifts back to their realm. We are on the hill of this Epic Campaign spending at the la cool boards and run offs. What should we be thinking about as somebody of that turns over, you know, their responsibility verses the federal government. Yes, very, very happy to be here. The report should focus on real core issues and Public Schools. I see choice is relevant and significant but it deals with a small number of kids in terms of overall scheme of things. I would push people particularly as states are implementedation plant of standards and accountables of, what are the standards are those ensuring the isd k and College Career ready when they graduate high school. This those relying at our market changing at a rooight ra. How are school holding vitamin teachers making sure those kids are being againsted around actual we have a histo histo histo history where people like me, we got a history where kids again ari ha generally have not met those standards. What are states going to do to hold School Districts accountable whether all chiern h learn. What sort of innovation our state is going to choose, right . Not meeting those benchmark or individual population of kids or meeting those benchmark, what are state going to do. Are you going to put a you need to make something tangible to see those people are s is how do state making sure thag we have a sufficient high number. Educators can get the ground running from day one. How are states going about ensuring that they have a supply and teachers and school leaders. Higher ed, what are states doing to make sure that universities th in their state are offering i am talking about teacher teachers they rather admit an upper income kid. I am talking about the same profile because that upper kids are going to pass it. Our colleges and universities opening to all and making sure this graduate to. At the ewednesday of the day, w have 40,000 kids. We have eefr 50 million in traditional Public Schools. Detroit conversations is as a rule important. And yall also built in mechani mechanism to ensure you have to discriminate against the population of kids. In this case, that combination is a cool, bread and butter work. Snoost it is important not to loot track in that. Both kids have the extent of their teacher. Theyll interak in sblik serv t servant. We have day to say and nuts and bullets that we cannot afford to lose track. How much more important for us to cover local school boar e election or the meryls election. Trying to rewrite no child left behind and nef not done that of the tilted world sheriffisheriff shi shifting back. What pointers can you give us for candidates that you may see coming up, things like that. I will totally not answer that question. If i am a reporter, what if i am you know, what she said is right. Yes, that includes vouchers and tuition tax credits and Scholarship Programs. 400,000 kids a day. We have seen several states adopted effectively universal options. Nevada, their program is currently going through a little battle right now and working out opinio. 400,000 double the number. Eligibility will be 473,000 for an esa. Arrest just took their education account atamt. Thats the trend that we are seeing. State adopts education account and families loved them and states move to make them more universally available. Yes, you can focus on and it is posit is important to focus all of that neighborhood stuff, we are jenrry getting into a Tipping Point. Particularly if nava ta donts to mush us out. I really think that well be at a Tipping Point where the focus is going to be on kids exercising private school boyce. Not to sound there are thing that is the federal government can and should not do on school bus. I have the first thing they should do is look at the 1. 3 billion dars impacted program and instead of just sending that to district and instead giving it to children of military families. Leave it to them in a nut case in saving accounts. We are talking about 800,000 kids who would be em jibl to take out school hois. They decimately need a choice for children. There are things that the federal government can do that are appropriate and respecting federalism and we do a lot of goods for a lot of kids. So i will just sort o of embrace the premise of your question. Should we focus on the local evolve . Absolutely, thats where the all the education is ochlt thats certainly the case regardless who enter office. As i ask ooereven more, what should we be looking at. She highlighted that states are in the process of laying out their plans for implementing of the accountability. I would say there is only so much that we can learn from the plan stage and when it comes to how those are implement and particular of whats done and skrool are identified as under performance. The government says nothing, you need to take evidence to improve, really, the poour is in the states and hands and districts to make that decision. We have doesens of state in the process, it will be interesting to see what decisions they make Going Forward or whether to develop alternatives or taking on teach year teen your policy in the likes. The relevant battle are over funding are always the state level. We get worked out about and proposing 9 billion and that means even a substantial cut to federal aid does not make all that much of a difference in the grand skeep of things. Thats where the action is when it comes to funding as well. So it is sbe interesting to see of the extent stitch and local raises so there is clearly an effort to do that in la and recently ort of attack in e formest Charter Schools to debt si devoss and trumpist. Montana does not team to me that effort has gain a lot of so lets talk a little bit about the people who are still in congress who still have the Decision Making authority over education issues ochlt i. I am thinking of congresswoman virginia fox and lamar alexander. I would have said a few months ago of senator pat think purr ray. There is been a little bit of a fracture in the bipartisan ship that usually comes akrng with negotiation issues. Who do you guys see themm standing on the pipeline. I am viing there is some career tech ed. That what isra realistic for uso take . I would have said there is preis sa. If tupt was implemented. I was surprised when i made et all the way through and got signed into law, anything can happen. It will be interesting to see if swg like federal tax credits new National Federal tax credit were to move forward. Are there folks who dont play in the ed space who we are not within the f space, we are not considering, right . There is a push on the administrati administration, the tax codes to lower rates. Does that run into a heesch for federal tax fellowship. I they that only to say there is interesting dynamics operating outside of the education space when it comes to federal tax credits and Scholarship Programs. At this point it is anybodys game and we could see some movement in that intersection and the calendar is trunk caided for congress. Well see a lot of that action. Do you think there is any alliance for senator alexander and republicans with the agenda of secretary deboss and trump add administration. I was handicapped and made a point that the pelast time they check was in congress. That suggests to me that shes signaling that he was not supportive of everything they were trying to do. My sense is that senator theyll set authorization levels for programs that they want to see roughly followed because that was part of the compromised. And made to men skbrgenerated support legislation. Even set aside, there is strong education and con taugs and all formula one. I think just the fact that we just did this deal means that there is not much appetite moving forward. I mentioned perkins of a separate piece of legislation. I dont see a set of ideas in that space of that really people are kpexcited about when it com to the federal role point. You are likely to see with some bipartisan ship. I think there is a set of ideas that related to simplifying Financial Aid. Financing some form of accountability for schools and their cold fronts successes and repaying fell loans. But, beyond that. I dont see much and again to go back to the original question, i don see an yesterday em ga can i jump in . Sorry. If our friends in congress are serious of limiting federal which is what they sold eesa on. If it actually did that, i think we would have seen some reductions in spending but we did not see that at all. Aschcroft spent roughly 24 billion so the ceo is paying the same. The budget of duting 9 pnlt 2 billion. I the as we prosecutored that, it was a largest single year of production. I think it is getting serious at least the First Step Towards trimming and i coventry trimming programs is a necessary condition for state wrol. Sould some of these cuts come to light. How could we looking to for wait how that is impacting teachers and tunts and schools. What do you think some of the first thing that repercussions and some of it coming to light. I think the report should follow the money. That got everything from futurer trip and college aid for young people and you know thats before you get to, you know some of the other cut in this sunl bu budget of Healthcare Access and food and security. I was going to have al clear impact on young people. It is going to have a clear impact on families and communities and on the capacity of young people being educated. It is problematic that the labor market is under going very rapid disruptions. We are, ywe have the administration thats smart to in invest in education and in terms of our young ability to access college. It is smart to disinvest. Follow le the impact, it will have a clear impact on kids z family and communities. While we have these roles of government. I would encourage reporters to follow the facts. These policy choices are being made both the washington and as well as state capitols . State coal dispans. I am from northerner si. I grew up in a enoughs kmupt. We are dependent on these programs. I spent most of my childhood in the byes and gils club because people were dealing with crack. When i went to college, i dit know all that. I went to the Financial Aid process and somebody going to name pal is going to help you. I want the Law Enforcement and i have perkinss. My family dants on in this case asset when i was sick and len i was a young person. If we could use some private Public Partnership is a way to get better. This has a specific tan judicijibl tan reporters do their best telling these stories and unfortunately, part of what concerns me is these abstract conversations could lose site of the tangible impact that it has on real people. I agree. Follow the impact. If we look at impacts we know from random assignment of kids participa participating, that it has not had an impact. We have not seen the impact that Program Participant we would see based on the environment evidence out there. We can go on and on of the program. Andy wrote about the big oz kw oz these programs are not working for kids. These programs are closer to the people they affect and being operated by people here in washington who never met those kids. I can point to all types of programs. I mean are these programs . Of course, not. Are there efficiency of many of these infest vmt . Su we can point to comparable programs and if you really are committed to it, what you dont d