Returning Education Control to States and Restoring Title IX Protections

0:00 Speaker 1 Well, Sunday morning, let’s talk about our education system with us today is Kimberly Richie and she is the Assistant Secretary in Education, and well, Kimberly Richie, Madam Secretary, what the heck is going on in our country in education because it seems like after COVID, our kids have been left behind.

0:27 Speaker 2 Give us your pulse on the situation.

0:31 Speaker 3 Oh well, thank you so much for the question, John, and thank you for the opportunity to be here with you this morning. You know, I think this is such an important question because the federal government has spent three trillion dollars of taxpayer money on education. And even with this three trillion dollar investment in a federal Department of education,

0:57 and even with thousands of pages of laws in federal regulations, what we know is that the current system has proven that Washington does not have the answers to solve the challenges that we are facing in education across our great country.

1:17 And what we know in what we know is that the solution does not come from Washington, d C. You talked about student outcomes. The bottom line is that only three out of every ten students are proficient in reading and maths and what that shows us is that the current system is just absolutely not working. We’ve put the

1:41 federal bureaucracy over the needs of students and our student outcomes. The data shows that this is just simply not worked.

1:51 Speaker 1 Now, Madame Secretoey, the situation with our kids, I lost track. I mean, are they writing in script or they’re printing, or they’re just using their computers?

2:08 Speaker 3 That is a that is a great, great question, and I know that this is something that several states are looking at. What we’ve seen through proposals across the country. U states are looking at limiting screen time, they are looking at ways to make screen time more meaningful. These are very important issues, and what we know is that

2:35 what we’re currently doing is not improving student outcomes. And so you know, the American people elected President Trump with a mandate to restore excellence to every facet of education. And one of the things that we are doing and we are prioritizing under Secretary McMahon’s leadership, is that we are constantly looking for ways to empower states and local

3:00 education leaders. So we are really looking for ways to give states more freedom and flexibility to add to address specific state needs. And this example is actually a great example of of of one of the ways that that states are leading. Several states have have looked at have passed laws and have looked at ways to limit screen time,

3:24 to limit cel phone use because they have recognized that it is pulling away, it is distracting students from school, and it is not helping them develop the essential the essential skills that that that they are going to need to be successful in life.

3:41 Speaker 1 Another important question, are we graduating kids with diplomas that are really don’t deserve graduation.

3:54 Speaker 3 That that that is also and that is also a very important issue that where where states are certainly leading. As you likely know, states are responsible for setting academic standards. They are responsible for setting graduation standards. And one of the things that we are really focusing on at the federal level is how we can support states in increasing expectations,

4:21 setting rigorous academic standards, making sure that a student who graduates with a diploma, that that diploma actually means something, that it means that they are going to have the necessary skills to be able to get a job, or join the military, or pursue higher education, or pursue a skill or a trade. But I completely agree with you

4:45 that that diploma has to mean something. And what we’re doing is we’re looking for ways to empower states. We believe that states are best position to lead this work, and our job is to help them make sure that they are setting academic, rigorous workforce UH standards so that a child’s diploma actually means that they are ready to

5:10 take whatever that next step is that they that they that they want to take in their lives.

5:15 Speaker 1 Last question, and it’s very important to so many moms and dads. The woke culture of the past, and I’m saying the past is because they wanted uh, I guess uh, males to go into female bathrooms and play males to play in female sports.

5:38 Speaker 2 As a father, I would never want that. How is the country coming along on going back to normal?

5:48 Speaker 3 Thank you so much for that for that question. Now you are completely in my wheelhouse, uh, John. These are the issues. These these are the bread and better issues that that I get to work on every single day.

6:00 I don’t know if you know this about me, but this is actually my third opportunity to serve at the US Department of Education. I’ve got to serve in the George W. Bush administration. I got to serve in President Trump’s first term, and now I’m so grateful that I get to be back for a third time. I will

6:20 tell you that with all of my years of experience at the US Department of Education, that this is the most aggressive enforcement of Title nine in ocr’s history. The Trump administration is fully committed to restoring Title nine so that women and girls in our schools that their rights are defended and that they have equal opportunity to pursue

6:51 educational programs, athletic programs, that they have the ability to use intimate facilities without biological males in evading their space. This is continuing to be a huge enforcement priority for US. As you know, the previous administration completely gutted Title nine.

7:13 They interpreted it in a way that allowed biological males to compete on girls athletic teams, that allowed biological males to access women’s facilities. And what Secretary McMahon.

7:25 Speaker 2 Oudam of, Secretary, they have lost their minds.

7:28 Speaker 3 Yes, sir, absolutely, And what the President is committed to, and what Secretary McMahon is committed to is restoring those protections for women and girls. If you’ve heard me talk about this at all, you know how committed. I am to this, but Title nine has to mean something. It was passed as a law to protect women and girls.

7:50 It was passed to make sure that they have access to educational programs and activities. When the previous administration interpreted that law to include UH protections based on gender identity, what it really did was gut Title nine to the point where it meant nothing at all. Women and girls truly lost their their rights and their protections under that law.

8:17 Speaker 1 Madam think we’re at a time and I’m gonna.

8:22 Speaker 2 But thank you.

8:23 Speaker 3 I hope I get to come back and talk to you more about it.

8:27 Speaker 1 We will talk about it further. Make sure you have my cell number text me anytime. Thank you so much for coming on this Sunday morning, and we’ll catch

8:34 Speaker 2 Up again soon