Governor Rosselló meets with federal Secretary of Education

(June 27, 2017 – Washington, DC) Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló met this afternoon with the United States Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, and the Puerto Rico Secretary of Education, Julia Keleher.

The Governor and Secretary of Education listed the changes in the structure of the agency, the efficiency in the use of resources, the transparency, and the inclusion of the school communities in the decision-making process.

DeVos and her team acknowledged the advances and considered them “evident.”

Keleher took the opportunity to request management support from her federal counterpart. Specifically, DeVos said she would evaluate Keleher's request to have staff designated to provide support in the handling of federal grants at the operational and personal level, who could collaborate in the area of legislative support to understand the congressional process following the approval of laws related to education.

“I would like to thank Secretary DeVos for her openness in establishing specific collaborations with Secretary Keleher in order to improve the public education system in Puerto Rico,” said the Governor after the meeting.

Meanwhile, Keleher highlighted a request to Secretary DeVos to identify support for the administration of Title I and Special Education programs to facilitate the procurement process to maximize resources.

"I am very happy for the opportunity to meet Secretary of Education DeVos. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share our vision for education in Puerto Rico and excited about her interest and openness to collaborate so that the Island can develop innovative programs," said Keleher.

The Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA), Carlos Mercader, was present at the meeting and cataloged it as the beginning of a collaborative relationship between the federal Department of Education and the Puerto Rico Department of Education.

Earlier, Governor Rosselló and Mercader met with Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Senator Tim Walberg (R-Michigan).

Wyden, a ranking member for the Democratic minority of the Senate Finance Committee, spoke with the Governor about his interest in collaborating with Puerto Rico on the healthcare and Medicaid issues, as well as tax reform.

Likewise, the Governor spoke with Walberg about the labor reform, the Medicaid fiscal cliff, and the results of the status plebiscite. Walberg acknowledged that it is a fundamental value of the United States to recognize the right to the process of self-determination of the American citizens residing in Puerto Rico.