Dear Commons Community,

President Trump made his first visit to a school yesterday since assuming the presidency.    As reported in the New York Times:

President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos visited St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando which serves students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. The school’s website says: “our goals are simple: College and Heaven.”  St. Andrew’s, a private Catholic school, participates in Florida’s tax credit scholarship program. That program gives tax breaks to corporations and individuals who donate money to a scholarship granting group. This group, in turn, helps low-income kids attend private schools. 

Despite fierce opposition from teachers and Democrats, Mr. Trump has said he will ask Congress to pass an expensive and widespread federal school choice program. Trump’s visit was seen as a show of support for programs like Florida’s, which make it easier for students to attend private schools. 

While at the school, Trump highlighted Denisha Merriweather, a young woman who enrolled in a private school through Florida’s school choice program. Earlier in the week, Merriweather was one of his guests to his address to Congress. 

He said he hopes to see “millions more achieve the same success” as Merriweather during the visit.

A sign of things to come!

Tony