RALEIGH, N.C. _ U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos came to Raleigh on Monday to promote the merits of school choice during the pandemic, as President Donald Trump and other members of his administration deal with a COVID-19 outbreak at the White House.
DeVos, speaking at a roundtable discussion sponsored by Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, praised state efforts to allow more families to use taxpayer funds to attend private schools. She pointed to the challenges that families across the nation have faced since the coronavirus pandemic caused public schools to switch from in-person instruction to online learning.
"This last six to eight months has brought into very clear focus the imperative that parents must ultimately be empowered to make the decision for their children's educational futures," DeVos said. "I think you all have a unique opportunity, we all have a unique opportunity across this nation to really take this moment and move forward with a focus towards doing what's right for individual students and their futures and to take really what has been for many a one-size-fits-all system and allow it to be personalized for every single student in this country."
The forum took place against the backdrop of Trump, his wife and a number of officials and campaign advisers testing positive for COVID-19.
DeVos met with Trump in person last week, but a spokeswoman said the secretary had no reason to believe that she was at risk. The spokeswoman said that, out of an abundance of caution, DeVos was tested Friday and the results came back negative.
Several participants on Monday offered DeVos their hopes for the Republican president and his wife to speedily recover. At the event, participants wore face coverings and maintained social distancing in the conference room.
"We are continuing to do the work that we volunteered to do," DeVos told reporters after the forum ended. "I'm very thankful to be here in North Carolina today and to continue to advocate for the president's policies and on behalf of students across the country."
North Carolina is a battleground state in the battle to win the presidency. Last week, Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris campaigned in Raleigh.
Trump, along with members of his administration and campaign staff, have also made multiple visits to North Carolina. In July, DeVos and Vice President Mike Pence visited the state, including touring Thales Academy in Apex to talk about reopening the nation's schools.
Critics of school voucher programs complain that they take away money that can be used to help children attending public schools. In addition, seven parents filed a lawsuit claiming that the state's voucher program is unconstitutional, in part because it provides funding to schools that discriminate against students or their families on religious grounds.
"My kids come back Oct 19 _ without any help from the backwards #ncga and Republicans who continue to defund public education at the expense of your precious opportunity scholarships _ which go against the ideals of separation of Church and state," Crystal Hardison, a Johnston County public school parent, tweeted Monday.
Much of the discussion Monday was around how state lawmakers approved a coronavirus relief bill that expands who is eligible to get an Opportunity Scholarship, which provides up to $4,200 per child annually to pay for tuition at a private school.
Lawmakers also included $6.5 million to serve 2,500 special-needs students who are on waiting lists to get money to help pay for education costs such as private school tuition.
More than 20% of the state's K-12 students didn't attend traditional public schools last school year. That number could rise this year during the pandemic.
"If there's one thing that has been a bright light as a result of what's been happening with reference to the pandemic, it's that families are looking more carefully at the educational opportunities that are available to them," Senate leader Phil Berger said at the forum. "A lot of families who have always been involved in the traditional public schools are seeing things that were always there but maybe were not as apparent to them."
Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, the Republican running against Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, wasn't at the forum. But in a video played Monday, Forest praised the expansion of school choice in the state and the Trump Administration's calls to expand school choice nationally.
"The work that we are doing in North Carolina to expand opportunity and choice to students will have a significant impact on their education outcomes," Forest said in the video. "I look forward to continuing to work with Secretary DeVos and President Trump as we look at ways to provide even more school choice options throughout our state so that every child has an opportunity for an excellent education."
Two Cumberland County parents talked at the forum about how remote learning hasn't worked for all of their children. Like several other districts, the Cumberland County school system plans to only use remote learning for students into January.
"We are all virtual now," said Chloe Dixon, a parent from Hope Mills. "It's taking a toll."
Dixon said she had to move her oldest child to a private Christian high school because remote learning was leading to mental health issues. She's now considering homeschooling her other children because they're struggling with the remote learning being offered by the school district.
Jessica Edwards of Fayetteville said what parents want is choice. While remote learning is working for her 15-year-old son at Jack Britt High School, Edwards said it didn't for her 9-year-old daughter, who has ADHD.
"For so many special-needs children, remote learning is very difficult," Edwards said. "To sit behind a computer is not functional for them to learn."
The recently approved changes in the Opportunity Scholarship program mean Edwards can send her daughter to a private school when a spot opens up. She's currently homeschooling her.
Allaura Osborne and her four sisters are using the Opportunity Scholarship Program to attend North Raleigh Christian Academy. Osborne, a senior at the school, said the opportunity to go to North Raleigh Christian has put her on a path of wanting to become a lawyer and an elected official.
"I wouldn't have been able to meet these mentors and some teachers that have changed my life forever without the Opportunity Scholarship," Osborne said at the forum. "I am who I am today because I was able to. I've grown as a person and as a leader."
