President Trump will attend a school choice roundtable at the White House on Friday, just two days after signing an executive order to give more support to the programs.
“The White House is excited to honor National School Choice Week with this roundtable. President Donald Trump wants parents throughout the nation to be empowered to direct their children’s education,” a senior White House official said.
“The President intends to greet the luncheon attendees,” they added.
The luncheon’s guest list includes governors, lawmakers and education policy experts.
The executive order signed by Trump took multiple actions to bolster school choice programs in the states. The president in his memo ordered the Department of Education to prioritize school choice in discretionary grant programs.
Other government agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are required to create guidance on how states can use block grants for educational alternatives.
And under the order, the heads of the departments of Defense Interior are required to develop plans on how military families and students attending Bureau of Indian Affairs schools can use school choice options.
“Every child deserves the best education available, regardless of their zip code. However, for generations, our government-assigned education system has failed millions of parents, students, and teachers,” the executive action reads. “This Executive Order begins to rectify that wrong by opening up opportunities for students to attend the school that best fits their needs.”
The money and guidance will help with the numerous Republican-led states who have adopted some form of education savings accounts, a school choice program that gives parents who send their children to private schools or homeschool a certain amount of money a year from the state government.
The roundtable comes as Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick for Education secretary, still has to be confirmed by the Senate.
