“I am a West Point graduate and an Army veteran.”

“There’s no doubt West Point impacted who I am... It has an enormous emphasis, not only on military aspects, but character development. Whether it’s the honor code, or the interactions you have, both with the cadet leadership and the academy leadership, every place you are is a character test.”

“Certainly when I was an undergraduate, it was the library, the stacks in the basement that you were going to go dig information out of and now you can sit at your desk in your dorm room or your house or wherever it is and the world is at your fingertips. And that’s certainly changed. It gives you more opportunity, but it has costs as well.”

“I’m convinced, the brightest talent from all across the world will still flock to the United States because we continue to be a beacon for liberty and a place where a world-class education on cutting-edge knowledge will be available to those who are willing to work hard to get it.”

“American higher education is a crown jewel of our society. And we must protect it. We must be vigilant against fraud and theft.”

“Academic freedom is essential for a vibrant democracy like the US, and academic exchanges should enhance, not undermine, that very freedom.”

“I’ve watched America with a model that has educational freedom, where professors are free to teach things they want to.”

“Some of the finest writers that we all know today began working on periodicals that they, often times they started in high school, but often honed their skill while in they were college, sometimes writing for the yearbook, sometimes writing for the school newspaper, sometimes writing for another journal or periodical on campus.”

“You suggested that it is unusual for Secretaries of State to engage with reporters at academic institutions across America. I think that’s unfortunate. I think that’s sad. I wish my predecessors had taken some of their time to do it. They were certainly all busy people. I certainly have a full agenda as well, but it’s imperative that we get this right, that you all have ever chance to hear from America’s senior leaders, to take your measure of them, to ask difficult questions.”

“Today [2023], many of our public schools are captured by powerful, self-interested teachers unions that push woke ideology into the classroom instead of equipping students with the fundamental tools they need to succeed in the world.”

“It’s beyond inappropriate to push toxic gender ideology on kids. This is a great example of why parents must stay involved in education.”

“Parental involvement is how we keep our schools accountable and pushing excellence, not ideology.”

“…a good start would be reading more of the Bible, and a little bit of the Federalist Papers on top of it… We need to do our hard work to take back… all of those places that can actually change those [curricula], and make sure we’re teaching our kids about the real American history.”

“What is absolutely certain is that real opportunities for students — hands-on challenges for kids — who are trying to learn are incredibly important.”

“Progressives are now actively seeking to displace parental authority, assume ownership of children, and make children creatures of the state.”

“Children are literally the lifeblood of our families, our society, and our nation.  They should be cherished, never sacrificed for the sake of convenience.”

“… when you have a job that takes a lot of your time – it’s not just secretaries of state or senior leaders; a lot of people have long hours that they put in – it means you have to try and get it right and make sure that you’re focused, especially at really important moments in your kids’ lives, that you’re taking care of that thing that is most important, your obligation to raise and inculcate the values in your children for the next generation.”

“We need to make sure that when students leave and get their degree that they have the skills that they want, the skills that they think they’re getting, the skills that will be the skills that will deliver for what is their mission.”

“Free choices made by parents are the only thing that can drive real competition among schools, and only a competitive model will generate the kind of academic excellence America needs to prosper.”

“We need to stand for free speech, open inquiry, and the competition of ideas. And we need to secure the freedoms that make our colleges and universities the envy of the world….”

“As a parent and former Secretary of State, I know that American security and prosperity depend on our ability to inculcate in each new generation of Americans a genuine understanding of why the American way of life matters.”

“America’s educational system should reflect the principles that have made America the most exceptional nation in the world: freedom and competition.”

“What’s imperative is access for the most creative amongst us, the entrepreneurs all across America, access to the schools so that students get a chance to experience that while they’re still in their learning mode.”

“Conservatives must actively champion school choice, pursue creative policies that increase competition and the autonomy of parents, and help create new organizations that chip away at the established power of teachers unions.”

“Ensuring parents have the freedom to choose where to send their kids to school is the case all conservatives should be making.”

“… the people who care most about a child’s education: the parents.”