State of the Union

Trump: 'No Parent Should Be Forced To Send Their Child to a Failing Government School'

In his State of the Union address, the president promised to give an opportunity scholarship to a specific child who needed one.

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In his State of the Union remarks Tuesday night, President Donald Trump expressed his desire to expand school choice options for all American children.

"No parent should be forced to send their child to a failing government school," he said.

Trump singled out a fourth grader, Janiyah Davis, who was trapped in a low-performing school in Philadelphia. Davis and her mother were among the audience in the House chamber and were thrilled when Trump announced that she would receive a scholarship to attend a school of her choice. (Further details were not immediately available, noted Philly Voice.)

This change in Davis' educational situation comes in spite of efforts by Democratic Governor Tom Wolf to kill school choice in his state. The governor recently vetoed legislation that would have expanded the state's voucher program.

The Trump administration has recently made an increased effort to support nationwide school choice reforms. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, for example, wants to make billions of dollars in tax credits available to people who give money to education opportunity funds.