Today, Republican Leader of the Committee on Education and Labor, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), issued the following statement commending the Trump administration’s Executive Order to pave the way for the delivery of emergency learning scholarships to families impacted by pandemic-related school closures:
“This pandemic has devastated millions of our nation’s students. Our medical health experts, including the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have warned of the consequences of prolonged distance learning, including depression, extreme absenteeism, and learning loss.
“We know it’s possible for schools to safely reopen with proper precautions, and although the federal government has provided more than $13 billion, with at least another $57 billion on the way, to help implement these precautions, countless children continue to have their futures predetermined solely by their zip code.
“The Executive Order announced by the White House today will provide additional flexibility to help states provide much needed funding to families in the form of emergency learning scholarships. This will empower disadvantaged families to connect their child with the educational setting of their choosing.
“Educational choice is powerful. Families should have the opportunity to make informed decisions that work for them and their individual needs, rather than being forced to accept a one-size-fits-all mandate. By providing greater educational freedom we can ensure that every student is successful – not just in the classroom but in years after. In doing so, we make our country even stronger.”
