Press Release

Education Coalition Applauds Secretary DeVos, Stresses Importance of Educational Freedom in Joint Letter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Taylor McCarty
tmccarty@alec.org
734-752-5646

Education Coalition Applauds Secretary DeVos, Stresses Importance of Educational Freedom in Joint Letter

Arlington, VA (June 7, 2017) – This afternoon, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) sent a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos applauding her commitment to educational freedom, as well as suggesting a variety of potential policy proposals to ensure parents are empowered to make the best educational choices for their children.

ALEC is joined by a coalition of policy organizations dedicated to limited government, free markets and federalism, including the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), The Heritage Foundation, Alabama Policy Institute, Beacon Center of Tennessee, The Georgia Public Policy Foundation, The Goldwater Institute, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Palmetto Promise Institute, Public Interest Institute, The Rio Grande Foundation and The Sutherland Institute.

“The five federal policies highlighted in this letter, including giving military families educational options, expanding and improving upon D.C.’s Opportunity Scholarship Program, and expanding the uses for 529 savings accounts, would benefit almost a million students in every single state across the country,” said Inez Feltscher Stepman, Director of the Education and Workforce Development Task Force at ALEC.

The letter directly addresses the benefits of educational choice, as well as innovation and educational progress seen in states like Arizona, Florida and Ohio.

“These policies expand school choice and return power over education policy to states and localities, where it ought to rest. I hope Secretary DeVos and Congressional leaders will seriously consider these policies as they decide how to make progress on the administration’s stated goals of advancing school choice and getting Washington, D.C. out of the education business,” said Stepman.

To speak with Inez Feltscher Stepman, send an email to tmccarty@alec.org to facilitate an interview. View the letter in full on the ALEC website here.

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The American Legislative Exchange Council is the largest nonprofit association of state legislators dedicated to the principles of limited government, free markets and federalism. Nearly one quarter of all state legislators are members of ALEC and represent more than 60 million Americans. ALEC member companies, which range from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, create roughly 30 million American jobs. To learn more, visit www.alec.org.