B (4:30)

Vince, thank you so much. What an honor to be on your show.

A (4:34)

Well, I have to say, you know, I'm very grateful for the work you're doing and I want people to become more, more familiar with, with what this means. You know, I usually when we talk about the topic of school choice, giving parents options in terms of where they send their kids, liberating them oftentimes from the government schools. When we talk about school choice, it really comes down to typically like, does your state have a school choice program or not? Are you allowed to break free of the government schools and take that money with you to go to a private institution. But you have figured out something of a workaround for that, which is like, look, even if your state doesn't do that, it is possible to set this up at the national level, right? Norton?

B (5:17)

Absolutely. And you know, Vince, I want to talk about what you just said a minute ago, and that is that we saw some very alarming trends in our country just a few weeks ago when the national assessment came out once again showing that our low income children were only proficient at 14 and 19% in math and reading. And as you mentioned, so well, only a third of these kids in 8th grade are actually literate, which is a very alarming data point. But here's the deal. This is not new information. This is something we've known for decades now in our country. In fact, it dates all the way back to the early 80s when a report came out to our country called A Nation at Risk, highlighting the difficulties we were having and the crises we were facing in our education system and that if we didn't act and do something about it, that we were going to have catastrophic circumstances. And that's what we're now seeing. We've seen a record amount of money being spent in public education, but the results are not actually very good. And our return is abhorrent for our kids. And so we get some big issues in our country right now. So, yes, to your point about the opportunity to do something about that, ACE was founded 25 years ago by some remarkable business leaders that believe we could do a lot more for our low income children, that we should level the playing field and that your education really should not be dictated by the zip code that you live in, but based on who you are as a human being, that every American should have access to a great school. And over 25 years, we helped out more than 120,000 children with scholarships. We've seen those kids do remarkable things. And at a federal level, now we have this amazing opportunity for the first time ever where thanks to some heroic leaders in this movement, in the big beautiful bill this year, President Trump signed a federal school choice tax credit, which will be a game changer for our country.

A (7:10)

Okay, I want to get into the details of that because I think part of that is obviously how people who are listening to you right now are going to be able to help with this. If you want to see especially low income students have options and break free of these government schools, there's a way to do that. But let's, let's just diagnose the difference here. You mentioned record spending. It's. I think we have record spending right now on education. We also have, in many cases, record low outcomes for students. So as the spending goes up like that, the outcomes are going down like that. And that's because the money's not, in the end, getting to the purpose of it. Right. I assume, which is the education of the kids. Where's the money going?

B (7:50)

Well, that's exactly right. And one of the greatest arguments people use, and it's a misnomer, is that we're not spending enough money on our kids, and that's why we're struggling in public education. And that's not the case at all. In fact, we're actually nearing $1 trillion in annual spending on public schools today. Yet the trends are showing that our kids are actually learning less than they were 30, 40 years ago. So it's not a money issue. But to your point, the money staying with the administration, it's not actually making its way into the classroom where it should. And I think the average cost per student currently is about $20,000 in public schools. That's a lot of money. If you compare that to our private schools, and we work with thousands of schools in 13 states, currently the average tuition is right around 10,000 per year. So it's a misnomer that private schools are all these elite institutions that charge a lot of money. These are remarkable institutions that are actually quite affordable, and they're also really good places where they carry better children.

A (8:51)

So what that. So $20,000, the average cost of an education for a student that's per year is what you're referenc. So that means in some cases, we're wasting twice as much money as it would cost to get a quality education for a child.

B (9:06)

Yeah, we're showing that it's not always about the money. It's about having the right environment for a kid where a parent can choose to put their kid in a school that's right for their kids. We say that one size doesn't fit all, but we have a system right now where it's basically the zip code you live in.

A (9:23)

Yeah.

B (9:23)

Dictates the education if you're poor. We know that those schools are not performing well for our kids, and that's where these parents are really desperate to put their children in great schools, the same way that you and I or wealthy families also want to put their kids into the right school.

A (9:38)

So what is the downside? Obviously, in terms of engaging in life is a huge downside. But what's the downside to Illiteracy, like when for the children. I often hear that reading by third grade is one of the most important benchmarks for a child's education. What do they lose if they can't read?

B (10:01)

Well, if you can't read by third grade, you really never catch up. If you can't do basic math by third grade, you really are never able to do the math you need to. So your foundation has not been laid. That's where the foundation is so critical early on to make sure that our kids are educated. But the reality events were giving lip service to arguably the most important issue in our country. We did a survey about two months ago asking Americans what the issues are that they care the most about. And there were five issues ahead of education, including crime and immigration and our health care system. These are really important issues in our country. But here's the deal. If you educate our kids, you can actually take care of every one of those other issues. So it all begins with education. It's by far the most important issue we face in our country. Yeah, it dictates everything in America.

A (10:51)

Also, if you can't read, I mean, that really is a high probability that you're going to live a life of poverty. And it's also one of the leading indicators. You know, I noticed on your website, the ACE Scholarships website, you've got some data points up. And one of the stats that I saw that's staggering but not shocking in the end is that 2/3 of all prison inmates are high school dropouts. Two thirds. And there's people who just didn't make it to the end. And stopping that. Putting an end to that requires, you know, giving people, kids, a quality education.

B (11:27)

Yeah, the, you know, the correlation between people who get to jail and education is night and day. That's exactly right. But we also see a huge personal economic impact for these children if you graduate high school. Studies show that your ability to make millions more over the course of your lifetime is greater than a student who doesn't graduate from high school. But also too let's talk about our welfare system and our government oversight and control of our families is if you're not literate, you're reliant on someone else to help you the rest of your life. And that's not the American dream. The American dream is that you can live in the greatest country in the world and that through your education, you can advance in life, you can be successful in your career, you can get married, you can have children, and hopefully you can also put your kids in a great school too. So education once again dictates what's going to happen in your future.

A (12:17)

Okay, in a moment, I want to talk with you, Norton, about what people can do about all of this because as I mentioned, in so many states, really, the government school cartel kind of locks people in and they don't have the option to escape the failing school systems around them that are not serving the children well. But thanks to your program there, there really is an option. And thanks to what President Trump just achieved, this option is about to get supercharged. So in a moment, more with Norton Rainey on what exactly you can do to help save your great country. More ahead right here on this special Edition events. Look, every day I drink blackout coffee to get my day started. And they're proudly the official coffee of all of us here at Silverlock. There's a reason for that. That it's bold is unapologetic. It's America first. Coffee is roasted fresh right here in the United States. It's not grocery store junk. Blackout coffee delivers very rich, high quality roasts that actually taste like freedom. And now you can set it and forget it with auto refill and recurring delivery. No more running out, no more watered down backups, just your favorite roast delivered fresh to you on your schedule. So do this. Pick your favorite roast, how often you want it delivered. And not only do you get a discount, you also get double the rewards and free shipping right to your doorstep. What are you waiting for? It's a delicious cup of coffee. I drink my coffee black. So I drink blackout coffee because it is the best. Here's what you do. Go to blackoutcoffee.com Vince Use the code Vince. That's V I N C E. Get 20 off your first order. It's awesome. Whether you're into the bold, dark roasts, flavored coffee or even instant, blackout has got your back. Real coffee, no compromise. Blackoutcoffee.com Vince get yours now. Our thanks to Blackout Coffee, great sponsor of our program also. You want a home by any chance? If you do, that's wonderful. Owning a home is amazing until it's not. One minute you'll be enjoying your morning coffee, your blackout, and then the next, your ankle deep in water from a burst pipe. Repairs don't care about timing and they definitely don't care about your budget. You protect your health and your car, even your phone. But what about your home? It's probably your biggest investment. And when something breaks, well, it can cost you a lot of money. That's where homeserve comes in. See regular Homeowners insurance is good, but it might not cover everyday breakdowns like a furnace failure, a broken light switch, a busted water heater. But Home Serve offers plans that help cover exactly those kinds of repairs. It's like a subscription for your home starting at just $4.99 a month. How much is peace of mind worth to you? You know, as a homeowner, when sudden things pop up and you're like, oh my gosh, how am I going to afford that fix? You don't want that feeling. Prevent that feeling. Help protect your home systems and your wallet with Homeserve against covered repairs. Plans started just $4.99 a month. Go to homeserve.com to find the plan that's right for you. That's homeserve.com not available everywhere. Most plans range between 499 and 1199amonth. Your first year terms apply uncovered repairs. See homeserve.com for details. Now I want to get to the place where everyone can own a home because they got a great education, they got a great job, and they bought a home. And in order to get there, well, it starts with those building blocks we're talking about with our great guest Norton Rainey with a scholarships. And Norton, you know, we've talked about the disaster that is the current American education system. Record spending, record, low outcomes for the kids. But the way out of this is to give these families options. So you are concentrated on this. Let's just talk about the basics of, of ACE scholarships. Essentially, as I understand it, people, generous Americans, they make donations to your program, to ACE scholarships, they fund these scholarships and then you're able to distribute school choice scholarships to low income students across the country to go somewhere other than the crappy government school that's not serving them. Is that right?

B (16:14)

That's right. We operate in 30 states currently and we do it two ways. We have privately funded scholarships for generous people who believe in what we do. They give contributions and then we provide partial tuition scholarships to low income parents to put their kids in the private K through 12 school they think is right. This year we have 16,000 kids on scholarship. Here's the beauty of that, is that these are partial scholarships. So we're providing about a third of their tuition. The school is coming along our side and also offering a scholarship. And then our families, who on average make about 50,000 per year, are also putting about $2,000 into their education. That is our key to our success. And the reason why 99% of our kids graduate is because it's a three way partnership. But it's also parents who have skin in the game. They may be poor, but they care desperately about their kids. And not only do they want them in the right environment, they also, they sacrifice great greatly by putting money into their education. And that's really a remarkable thing.

A (17:16)

So 99, you said 99% of your scholarship recipients graduate. How does that compare to the general population? That must be, I mean, that has to be a massive improvement over people who are not in this program.

B (17:29)

It is a night and day difference. It's considerably higher. But I think what we like to focus on, because there's so much graduation and grade inflation these days, we see in our school system, we focus more on the proficiency of our kids and we see that our kids in math and reading are about three to four times stronger in math and reading. So we know they actually are getting the basic foundational blocks they need to actually graduate and go to college. Most of our kids go to college. Most will graduate from college as well, which is incredible. Now they can actually own a home, like you just mentioned, because now they're securing a job or they're making money or they go to trades in the military, which I think is also a wonderful thing where they can do what they need to in their lives.

A (18:11)

That's great. That's wonderful. Measurable outcomes. You've been doing it for 25 years now, ACE scholarships. So you have a scholarship program set up. People continue to support what you're doing. But the big beautiful bill came along this year and I remember earlier this year when President Trump was bragging about national school choice. When I first heard it, I was like, wait a second, how would that even work nationwide school choice? Because these are state programs, the states that manage the school system. But the secret sauce is actually basically what your organization does. And the way President Trump has actually changed the law, the way the Congress has changed the law in order to supercharge programs like a scholarships. Describe what the big beautiful bill did. How is this going to change the country?

B (18:59)

Absolutely. We're so excited. This is a monumental moment in our country which will be transformational. For decades we've had state tax credits and voucher programs and as you referenced there, it's only been a statewide issue, but there's been a long time dream about what can we do federally to make sure that children in all 50 states have access. And it's been a dream. But really the trifecta happened with a president and a Congress in the Senate that believed in doing something we Actually in the big beautiful bill, were able to, with some friends and allies around the country, to include a federal tax credit. And it's really simple. It allows every American beginning in 2027 to claim a seventeen hundred dollar tax credit when they give to programs like ACE Scholarships. Now most people don't always know the difference between a deduction and a credit. It's quite simple. Deduction is the normal donation you make to a charity. A credit is incredible. It's like stealing the money that you would actually pay in taxes to Uncle Sam every year. You can now give that to an organization like ace so it doesn't cost you a penny. And that means that we can actually raise more money, help out more kids. And that's what ACE will now be doing, is growing to many more states outside of our 13 state region currently. And my belief in says that we're going to go from a program that's helping out a lot of kids to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of kids and seen a true transformational impact in our country.

A (20:27)

All right, help me understand. I want to make sure I understand you correctly because I'm a slow, I'm a slow learner. 1700 bucks. So if I, if I give, when does this start to start in 26 or 27 that I can start doing this?

B (20:39)

This starts in January of 2027 and we'll start marketing this program aggressively in 2026.

A (20:45)

Okay. So in January 2027, I turn to my wife and I go, hey, let's, let's help out. ACE Scholarships. I give you, I cut you a check for. Was it $1700? Is that what you said?

B (20:56)

That's right.

A (20:56)

I sent $1700 to you and say, let's help these kids out. You're telling me that in the end I'm not actually spending any money because the government's sending it right back to me in the form of a tax credit.

B (21:06)

You nailed it. What we'll do is we'll send your receipt and then when you file your taxes in 2028, you will actually receive a refund from the government for $1700. So it's, it's really that simple. That's how good it is. We just have to make sure Americans understand how great this opportunity is.

A (21:24)

Yeah, I mean, well, actually what you're describing is basically any American who can afford to wait a few months to get their money back basically should probably be doing this. If you want to support school choice nationwide.

B (21:38)

We think there are about 50 million Americans who currently make over 85,000 per year. That translates into at least a $1,700 credit. That's not including all Americans who don't even make 85,000 who can claim a portion. And they can also make monthly contributions. So if they can't write a $1,700 check immediately, they can actually do this on a monthly basis where it's about $141 per month versus 1700. But our personal belief is that we're gonna have to market this. We need people to know about this. And we think that we have a chance of actually raising billions of dollars at a national level and filling the seats in our schools, making sure that homeschool families have an opportunity. It's also available even in public schools. So it's not just private school as you have the chance for before and after school programs that enhance your education in public schools.

A (22:29)

It's amazing. So, you know, as you describe this, I'm starting to realize the scale of how big this could be, because this could actually fundamentally change the entire face of education in the United States if, if, if enough Americans actually know about this program to utilize it. This. This seems like a very big deal. You must be. You must be chomping at the bit. A bit here because you're like, man, we're gonna. This. You're gonna. It's gonna take education to. To the next level if the whole country has school choice. And now, one thing I think I noticed about this, and correct me if I'm wrong, but can't states opt out of this if they decide they're like, no, we don't want any school choice in our state. Could they tap out if they want to?

B (23:12)

Yeah, unfortunately, that was a part of this bill, which is not good. And that is that although it's a federal bill, it does enable governors around the country to either opt in or opt out of the program. And we know that in red states, who tend to be more conservative, governors will. Absolutely, we opt in. Our greatest challenge is going to be in blue states. And by the way, it's not to say that blue governors, Democratic governors will not opt in. We actually know, for example, in Colorado, where ace's home base is, we've had discussions already with Governor Jared Polis, and he's actually been very bullish on school choice in the past, and he's already indicated that he will opt in this program. So we really applaud his leadership as a Democrat, we need more Democratic governors to do the same and also opt in. The reality is it's about Our children. It's not about special interest groups. So yes, we are chomping at the bit on this one here because we know it really can be transformational and we also know that education is the key to solving our problems. But Vince, what I'd also say the data is awesome. I mean, we've got so much good data. And this is not even a hypothesis. It is a proven model. But it's the stories. It's the stories of Greta, a mom who spoke at one of our events two weeks ago that shared the story of her oldest son who went to a public school and he got caught up in drugs and eventually overdosed and died. And then her younger daughter who she said, I want my daughter to have a very different outcome in her life. And she put her in a private school and ACE helped her out and now she's flourishing and doing great things. Those are the stories that keep us going all the time. And it's also the stories a failure. The parents and children who are being left behind, whose cries we hear all the time. Like in Chicago where the governor actually cut a 10,000 person scholarship program. And then we have children being left behind and put into a school system that once again is not serving them. So we are really bullish on making sure every child in America can live and fulfill their dreams. And it begins with education.

A (25:13)

Yes, it does. And look, I know this is not a sex scandal we're talking about. It's not some new war that's starting. It's not some crazy deep state thing that's been happening to our country. You and I are talking about the fundamentals of our country. The building blocks, what it takes to have a great country. And that takes an educated populace and we should help these kids out the best we can. So on this Thanksgiving week, Norton Rainey, I'm thankful for you. I'm thankful for a scholarships. I do think it's a really big deal and I really think, God willing, if you continue this mission, you can reshape the face of American education. I can't wait to see what happens in 2027. I, I, I love that. Any final thoughts here? Norton, before we, before we bid you farewell and Happy Thanksgiving.

B (25:55)

Well, we can't wait as well too. I want to say thanks to everyone and a very happy Thanksgiving. Understand something. Your support of ACE scholarships, it works. It's a tremendous return and we would just be so honored to work with you and help America flourish and to see our country continue being the greatest country in the world. Blessings and thank you so very much.

A (26:16)

And Norton, your website again, what's the ACE Scholarships website so people can find out more?

B (26:21)

It is just our name. It is acescholarships.org acholarships.org all right.

A (26:28)

Thank you. Norton Rainey, happy Thanksgiving to you, sir. Thank you very much for joining me today.

B (26:32)

Thank you so much. What a blessing.

A (26:35)

What a blessing. That's Norton Rainey with ACE Scholarships again this week. As we're thankful for our country, we're thankful for the people who are trying to constantly improve. Prove it. Norton is definitely among them. Please support his great program and, and you've got a great opportunity coming up in 2027 to do it in a really, really big way. Thank you as always, for being with us. Please have a wonderful, wonderful Thanksgiving. You really are the best audience anywhere. God bless you. I'll be back with you soon.