President Donald Trump made a surprise appearance at a school choice event at the White House on Thursday, and he took the opportunity to praise the Opportunity Scholarship Program in the District of Columbia that provides vouchers to students from low-income families.
At the event, which also featured U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Vice President Mike Pence, Trump talked up the graduation rate among students taking the vouchers, and said they are “making an extraordinary difference in these incredible young lives.” He didn’t mention a recent Institute of Education Sciences study showing a negative impact on achievement in math among students receiving the vouchers.
Trump has made a push for an expansion of school choice, although it faces an uncertain future in Congress. Click here to read more from the event and additional background at the Politics K-12 blog. And watch video of the event below:
Photo: President Donald Trump speaks during a school choice event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, May 3. Photo by Evan Vucci/AP