As someone who is currently in college to eventually become a teacher, Trump’s nomination of Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education is a huge concern for myself and other prospective teachers. Not only do I believe that she is one of the worst people that Donald Trump could have picked for this position, but I also feel that Betsy DeVos could be a danger to the education system for the following reasons.
1. Lack of Experience
Betsy DeVos has no experience with public schools. DeVos and her children were never enrolled in public schools. Instead, DeVos as well as her children attended private Christian schools. DeVos would actually be the first Secretary of Education to have never attended public school or had children going to a public school. 91% of children in the United States of America attend public schools, yet Betsy DeVos has no experience whatsoever with public schools.
2. Lack of Basic Education Knowledge
At DeVos’s confirmation hearing, her answers to some basic questions about education startled the people that were there. When DeVos was asked by Senator Al Franken about her thoughts on using test scores to measure proficiency or growth, DeVos didn’t seem to know what she was even being asked. This question on basic education knowledge is extremely important at the moment, and was one that I could answer, and I’m only a freshman in college. DeVos’s answers throughout the confirmation hearing shows just how unprepared she is to take on the role of Secretary of Education.
3. DeVos’s Stance on The IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
During DeVos’s confirmation hearing, the IDEA was brought up by many senators. The IDEA is “the law that grants children with disabilities the right to attend public school. It also mandates that schools provide them with the services necessary to achieve success in that setting” (Ne’eman). When DeVos was first questioned about the rights for students under the IDEA, she consistently claimed, “That is a matter best left for the states”. When DeVos was asked if she knew that this law was a federal law, she seemed to be unfamiliar with the law and even said she had confused the law with something else. For someone like myself who has a siblings with a disability, it is concerning to see that our new Secretary of Education had almost no understanding of this major law.
I could go on and on about the reasons that I dislike Betsy DeVos, but I believe that it is clear to see how unprepared she is for this job just by looking at these reasons. Although there is probably no way that protesting could get her removed from this role, I can only hope that DeVos does her research and realizes how important this position is.
Related Articles:
Why Should College Women Care About Politics
An open letter to the college woman who still supports Donald Trump
How the Trump Administration is Already Threatening the First Amendment
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/01/17/510274817/watch-live-betsy-dev… (Watch the whole confirmation hearing here!)