Skip to content
NOWCAST WESH 2 News at 11 PM
Live Now
Advertisement

President Trump visits St. Andrew Catholic School in Pine Hills

President Trump visits St. Andrew Catholic School in Pine Hills
WEBVTT AT PINEHILLS.WHY TH PRESIDENT CHOSE APRIVATE SCHOOL FOR THE VISIT.; PRESIDENT TRUMP AND BETSYDEVOS MET IN PINE HILLS AT THEPRIVATE SAINT ANDREWS SCHOOL.HIS EDUCATION AGENDA WILL FOCUSON SCHOOL CHOICE.OF THE 390 SAY AND HER STUDENTS,291 OF THEM ARE FROM LOW INCOMEFAMILIES THAT QUALIFY FSCHOLARSHIPS.THE FLORIDA TAX CREDITSCHOLARSHIP HAS BEEN GIVINGCORPORATIONS DOLLAR FOR DOLLARMATCH IS ALSO KNOWN AS STEPOFFERS FOR STUDENTS, AND COULDBE A MODEL FOR A NATIONALPROGRAM WITH SCHOOL VOUCHERS.PRESIDENT TRUMP: ST. ANDREWSREPRESENTS ONE OF THE MANYPAROCHIAL SCHOOLS DEDICATED TOSOME OF THE MOST DISADVANTAGEDCHILDREN, BUT THEY ARE BECOMINGJUST THE OPPOSITE WITH THE HELPOF THE SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAMS.>> HOW IT HAS IMPACTED OU LIFE,SHAPED OUR LIFE.; MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE SAINTANDREW, PEOPLE WERE PROTESTINGPRESIDENT TRUMP POLITICS.THE LARGEST OF THE ISSUES,SCHOOL CHOICE.
Advertisement
President Trump visits St. Andrew Catholic School in Pine Hills
President Donald Trump is praising a St. Andrew Catholic School in Pine Hills as the kind of school that disadvantaged children should be able to choose for their education. Trump visited the school on Friday and told its principal that "the love you have for what you do is really fantastic." >>Download the WESH 2 News app for iOS and Android Trump arrived at Orlando International Airport on Air Force One around 1 p.m. He was joined on the plane by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Florida Gov. Rick Scott greeted Trump on the tarmac. WATCH: President Trump thanks St. Andrew Catholic School principal The president started his tour of the school with a visit to a fourth-grade classroom. Trump shook hands with a pair of students who told him they were learning about the history of Florida. Related: President Trump holds listening session on school choice The president singled out Denisha Merriweather, a former failing student who turned her life around once she chose a new school, saying, "We want millions more to have the chance to achieve the success that you're achieving." He then joked to one girl who said she wanted to own her own business that she's "gonna make a lot of money. But don't run for politics." WATCH: Trump jokes with student who wants to own business Trump also praised Florida, noting that he captured it in last fall's election. The visit it Trump’s first to a school as president and it gives a strong indication of where his priorities lie. Teachers unions were quick to criticize the plan, saying it shows Trump's hostility toward public schools and his intention to turn education into a profit-making industry. There were more than 100 protesters outside the school when Trump arrived.

President Donald Trump is praising a St. Andrew Catholic School in Pine Hills as the kind of school that disadvantaged children should be able to choose for their education.

Trump visited the school on Friday and told its principal that "the love you have for what you do is really fantastic."

Advertisement

>>Download the WESH 2 News app for iOS and Android

Trump arrived at Orlando International Airport on Air Force One around 1 p.m. He was joined on the plane by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Florida Gov. Rick Scott greeted Trump on the tarmac.

WATCH: President Trump thanks St. Andrew Catholic School principal

The president started his tour of the school with a visit to a fourth-grade classroom.

Trump shook hands with a pair of students who told him they were learning about the history of Florida.

Related: President Trump holds listening session on school choice

The president singled out Denisha Merriweather, a former failing student who turned her life around once she chose a new school, saying, "We want millions more to have the chance to achieve the success that you're achieving."

He then joked to one girl who said she wanted to own her own business that she's "gonna make a lot of money. But don't run for politics."

WATCH: Trump jokes with student who wants to own business

Trump also praised Florida, noting that he captured it in last fall's election.

The visit it Trump’s first to a school as president and it gives a strong indication of where his priorities lie. Teachers unions were quick to criticize the plan, saying it shows Trump's hostility toward public schools and his intention to turn education into a profit-making industry.

There were more than 100 protesters outside the school when Trump arrived.