It has been a year and a half since Donald Trump made Betsy DeVos his selection as Secretary of Education and thus began a much maligned tenure of one of the most controversial cabinet members in recent history.
DeVos’s resume coming into the office was not impressive and certainly one that displayed an unqualified individual whose intent on privatizing public education was already well-known.
The following is her resume in public education at this point two years ago:
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In fact,
- Betsy DeVos still has no degree in education meaning she is still not even educated in how to educate.
- Betsy DeVos still has no teaching experience. NONE, but she is an official for public schools in the nation.
- Betsy DeVos never attended a public school or state supported university. None of her children have either.
- Betsy DeVos’s monetary contributions to Christian-based schools and evangelical organizations has been conservatively estimated at $200 million. That is still growing.
- Betsy DeVos is totally anti-union and believes that teachers are paid too much.
- Betsy DeVos supports vouchers like no other.
But now that we are approaching two years into this current administration, it might be worth looking at what DeVos has done as a public education official in the country.
- Betsy DeVos has tirelessly promoted school choice without mentioning the challenges that come with school choice and the effects on traditional public schools.
- Betsy DeVos proclaimed that schools need guns to protect them from grizzly bears.
- Betsy DeVos remarked how historically black colleges and universities (HBCU’s) were the “real pioneers when it comes to school choice.” Just look at the speech at Bethune-Cookman during last year’s graduation to see the response to that.
- Betsy DeVos has shown to be unknowledgeable of the basic tenants of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
- Betsy DeVos removed consumer protection rules on student loans and allowed for collection fees for some borrowers to be put back into effect.
- Betsy DeVos removed protection for transgender students in public schools.
- Betsy DeVos rolled back protections for victims in college campus sexual assault.
- Betsy DeVos has allowed many positions in the Department of Education to remain vacant.
- DeVos has cost taxpayers lots in just having a certain entourage with her on her travels because she is so polarizing that she requires security.
- She’s still donating money to privatization efforts.
So how is this working out for us?
It’s not.
Unless you are a Dolores Umbrage fan.