Late Wednesday, President Trump wrote an executive order to begin tearing apart our nation’s educational system. Considering that Betsy Devos is Trump’s Secretary of Education, this should come as no surprise to anyone. After all, Devos has devoted her life to replacing our nation’s public schools with private charter ones.
For nearly 30 years, as a philanthropist, activist and Republican fund-raiser, she has pushed to give families taxpayer money in the form of vouchers to attend private and parochial schools, pressed to expand publicly funded but privately run charter schools, and tried to strip teacher unions of their influence. NYTimes article
If you were persuaded by Betsy Devos to run a charter school, you want more students to attend your school. The more students, the more money you make. Do you consider this a conflict of interest, with a commodity as precious as the education of our nation’s children? Betsy Devos does not need to mask her intent to divert more students to her charter schools.
Betsy Devos has made millions of dollars through charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately owned. The government will pay more money for every extra student that attends your charter school.
“This executive order makes certain that local leaders will be making the decisions about what happens in the classroom,” top DeVos advisor Rob Goad told reporters. “Parents will no longer have to worry about the federal government enacting overreaching mandates or requiring states to adopt a federal curriculum at the expense of local education innovation,” an apparent reference to widely adopted “Common Core” standards, which conservatives have long criticized. USAToday article
Betsy Devos’ appointment to our nation’s educational secretary is actually very inspiring. As long as you donate enough money, you too, one day, could be our nation’s Secretary of Education!
According to the LA Times, Betsy Devos’ family has donated more than $200 million to the Republican party. Bet your bottom dollar, that such a donation will earn you any position you want.
“We know that local communities do it best and know it best,” Trump said during a signing ceremony on Wednesday, according to the White House press pool. “Previous administrations have wrongly forced states and schools to comply with federal whims and dictates for what our kids are taught. The time has come to empower teachers and parents to make the decisions that help their students achieve success.” Washington Examiner article
What sort of success is our president referring to? The only success achieved through Betsy Devos’ charter school system, is her own fat wallet. Everyone else fails — especially the student — the only one that should matter.
Betsy Devos began her experiment on our children’s education in Detroit, Michigan. In the city, kids have a huge selection of schools. However, quality is lacking from all. While I can offer you three hundred stale eggs, does selection really matter? Great selection, but what does that matter?
In Brightmoor, the only high school left is Detroit Community Schools, a charter boasting more than a decade of abysmal test scores and, until recently, a superintendent who earned $130,000 a year despite a dearth of educational experience or credentials. Washington Post article.
If you have graduated already, thank your stars.
However, if you are still going through public school, you are screwed!
