    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Proclamation 9966 of November 15, 2019

    American Education Week, 2019

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    Every child in America deserves equal access to an education that meets
    their individual needs and prepares them for success. In America, the
    responsibility for education policy decisions is reserved mainly to the
    States and to the local officials who know their students best, and we
    recognize the countless teachers and administrators who con

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    tribute every day to innovative solutions at the State and local level.
    During American Education Week, we celebrate the boundless potential of
    America's students, honor the teachers, parents, and guardians who help
    to develop their talents, and commit to expanding educational freedom
    across the country.
    A child begins to learn long before the first day of kindergarten and
    continues to learn well past high school graduation. Education is not
    confined to a single method, location, or timeframe, but instead is a
    process that lasts a lifetime. Our education system should inspire
    students to become lifelong learners, and it should preserve the rights
    of parents to play an active role in educating their children,
    facilitate dynamic teaching styles that fit individual students, and
    free students to pursue their passions.
    Because students have their own unique learning styles, teachers should
    be free from burdensome regulations and constraints that inhibit their
    ability to teach students according to their needs. This type of
    teaching and learning paves the way to rewarding careers and fulfilling
    lives for young Americans, promoting healthy families, vibrant
    communities, and continued economic prosperity across our Nation. To
    create the type of environments where learning can flourish and to seize
    the opportunities of tomorrow, we must ensure students are able to learn
    in ways and places that work for them.
    My Administration supports educational freedom by opposing one-size-
    fits-all Federal regulations, restoring decision-making authority to
    State and local leaders, and empowering families and students. This
    year, we proposed a transformative new tool for students to access the
    right education for them: Education Freedom Scholarships. These
    scholarships will provide up to $5 billion annually in Federal tax
    credits for voluntary donations to State-based scholarship programs.
    This program is a bold and necessary step to ensure every family has the
    freedom to pursue the educational options that are best for them,
    regardless of zip code. We look forward to the Congress taking action to
    approve these privately-funded scholarships and to free millions of
    students of all ages to learn in new and innovative educational
    settings, without taking a penny from public schools.
    In order to successfully prepare students for the jobs and economy of
    the future, education must be dynamic and forward-thinking in its scope
    and focus. This September, my Administration announced $123 million in
    new funding to dozens of school districts, nonprofit organizations, and
    State educational agencies across the country as part of the Department
    of Education's Education Innovation and Research (EIR) competitive grant
    program. These grants will create new, innovative, and personalized ways
    for students to learn. To help the next generation maintain America's
    leading role in the global marketplace, more than $78 million will fund
    projects focused on innovations in science, technology, engineering, and
    math (STEM) education.
    This week, we recognize the power of education and pay tribute to the
    educators and role models who shape the students of today into the
    leaders of tomorrow. Their efforts help provide a high-quality education
    to millions of students, build strong communities, and ensure that
    America maintains its standing in an increasingly competitive world.
    Education in America is as important today as it ever has been,

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    and we remain committed to providing teachers and students with the
    freedom and resources they need to be successful.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
    America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
    the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 17 through
    November 23, 2019, as American Education Week. I commend our Nation's
    schools, their teachers and leaders, and the parents of students across
    this land. And I call on States and communities to support high-quality
    education to meet the needs of all students.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of
    November, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
    fourth.
    DONALD J. TRUMP