DeVos Wreaks Havoc in Education Department

Has educa-CAN turned into educa-CAN’T? Confirmation of President Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has left most questioning whether or not our children’s educational futures are in peril or at least at risk. Since February 7th when Vice President Mike Pence broke the Senate tie, DeVos and her Education Department have wreaked havoc upon public schools.

Several of DeVos’ personal contributions are as follows. First, she insulted hardworking Washington DC middle school teachers at Jefferson Middle School Academy, called protesters of her visit to the school hostile toward change and garnered US marshal protection from blocked entrance to Jefferson. What a great way to start out her relationship with students and teachers. Second, DeVos did not participate in the first live Twitter exchange her department had for teachers February 21st. This is extremely negative behavior from the woman in charge of said teachers’ working environments, and as teachers are unequivocally important in contributing to student wellbeing and educational success. Third, she said it would be okay if the Education Department was shut down. This is literally her job and department…glad to know our education leader she devalues her own position. Fourth, DeVos made clear her top priority of pushing for choice schools as opposed to public schools... that now heads in her department.

The Trump administration has since taken legislative action in its revocation of protection for transgender students in public schools. Obama administration protections ensured transgender students could use bathrooms matching their gender identities. DeVos, who supposedly disapproved of this rejection of transgender student identities, has responded to this decision stating it is a matter best left to state discretion. Although she believes in supporting LGBTQ people, she signed in agreement of this policy after Trump suggested she should agree or resign.

DeVos has worse qualifications than any education secretary ever confirmed to the job. Since Trump appointed her, DeVos’ policies have been revealed head on by DeVos herself, or by careful deflection of questions posed to her on the senate floor. She herself never attended public school, her children did not go to public school, she has never taught in a school---let alone a public school---and she has no formal education of any kind qualifying her to make decisions surrounding education policy. DeVos has been on nine committees related to education that are privately run, where she uses her money to support privately funded charter schools. Having no experience herself in public education, DeVos will face difficulty, if not impossibility, in leading the department in charge of handling money, advising the president and creation of policies for elementary, secondary and higher education.

The Secretary of Education is in charge of higher education, which is funded 150 billion dollars a year to support students as well as a trillion dollar student loan bank and distribution of 30 billion dollars in Pell Grants. When Senator Elizabeth Warren asked Duvos if she has experience running a bank or a loan program, or has participated in college financial aid or management of higher education, DeVos replied no to all. It fills me with no confidence whatsoever to know a woman hired to handle an extremely important amount of government money is testing out her abilities for the first time on that which affects a majority of our nation’s children.

Warren also asked DeVos directly if she would enforce the gainful employment rule--making sure career colleges are not cheating students by taking their money and not preparing them for employment--Devos says she will review this rule that is already in place. This directly impacts myself and my peers, so I am extremely disappointed to know my current education secretary does not find it important to protect my professional educational well-being.

When senator Tim Cain said to DeVos, “I think that all schools that receive federal funding, public, public charter, private, should be required to meet the conditions of the individuals with disabilities and education act. Do you agree with me or not?” DeVos replied, “I think that is certainly worth discussion.” I am disgusted to think my secretary of education would leave room to discuss whether or not children with disabilities should be entitled to educations from which they can fully benefit.

DeVos’ very own website question and answer page addresses her view on common core curriculum to which she replies, “I am not a supporter—period.” The common core curriculum requires all students to be proficient in a certain level in math and english...subjects of general importance, and which students need to get into most colleges and earn degrees.

She has also made seemingly absurd comments on gun use in schools, especially after school shootings such as Sandy Hook Elementary. “I will refer back to Senator [Mike] Enzi and the school he was talking about in Wyoming. I think probably there, I would imagine that there is probably a gun in the schools to protect from potential grizzlies,” DeVos said in response to Senator Chris Murphy’s question of whether guns belonged in schools. Our education secretary made a joke out of the issue, disrespecting children and school faculty injured or killed in school shootings. DeVos failed to address her stance on gun use under normal school conditions and also for use against said grizzly bears. DeVos only states she thought guns must be used there, not that that was her opinion. DeVos later goes on to say she will support the Trump administration’s wishes, with the senate having reminded her Trump has promised to end gun-free zones around schools.

It is disgraceful and dangerous for the US Secretary of Education to be so misinformed and uneducated about the duties and responsibilities her position requires. It is our job as citizens and students to protest endeavors in this administration we find destructive. We must lobby for stability and change we believe in and do our due diligence as citizens to prevent senators and house members from confirming a candidate with her credentials in the future.