Today, the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will consider the nomination of Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education. DeVos and her family have devoted many millions of dollars to destroying public schools and turning the clock back by more than a century. She wants the government to pay tuition at religious schools, voucher schools, for-profit schools, any alternative to public schools is her goal.
American public education is one of the essential institutions of our democratic society. The guarantee to everyone in this country that they could attend a free public school was a hard-fought victory. First, it required persuading the public to tax themselves to pay for schools for the children of the community. Second, it required separating the schools from religious institutions, which had long been the source of education. Third, it meant expanding access to all: to boys and girls, to children of all races and cultures, to children whose first language was not English, and to children with disabilities.
None of of these changes came easily.
And the struggle to provide good schools is ongoing, since so many states base school funding on property taxes, which privileges those who are already advantaged.
DeVos is ignorant of the history of public education in America and the role of public schools in our society. Her hostility to public schools should disqualify her from consideration for this position.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Vintage editorial cartoon is great.
Hearing for Devos is today. Information is here. http://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/nomination-of-betsy-devos-to-serve-as-secretary-of-education
Thanks, Diane, this is a really important issue, aside from the educational efficacy of the public support of private schools. There is a recognized problem of the “pillarisation” of societies into separate communities in those countries which have gone down this route. These countries include Northern Ireland, Lebanon, Nigeria, Iraq, and Israel, in which rival communities are at each other’s throats. It is the last model we should follow, throwing away something precious we’ve had for over a century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillarisation
Please explain what the “this” is in “this is a really important. . . .” I am not sure to what you are referring. TIA, Duane
By ‘this’ I meant the issue of keeping tax money supporting public schools (with public controls). And particularly not allowing public support of schools of diverse religious sects.
Thanks for the clarification, William!
Public schools teach shared values. They teach foundational principles like respect for differing views and religious tolerance.
Wall Street takes 10-18% from charter school debt, while they sacrifice the nation to their greed.
Yes!
Again…..
DeVos is a radical only insofar as all ed reformers are radical.
She is a frank, open, and flagrant Ed reform advocate. We are used to less in-your-face-here-is-our-end- game type Ed reformers. We are used to the Democratic Party kind who prefer to do their destruction of public good nicely, with their victim anesthetized with the lingo of social justice and technocratic business verbiage.
DeVos is only radical in her bluntness. She, like the right in general, have no use for the language of social justice or even slick econo-business lingo. So, when she speaks of Ed reform, vouchers, charters, etc., its flagrant, in our face, and aggressive.
Singling out DeVos as somehow being a whole new threat or a whole new order of magnitude of a threat isn’t only wrong, it is dangerous for our cause. By not, at this moment of serious repose, acknowledging in very clear ways, that our threat are existential, systemic, and fully bipartisan, we are opening a very large door for Democratic education reformers to run over us again when the time comes. DeVos is, from an end result point of view, interchangeable with any other person that a Republican or Democratic President would put up for the gig.
I mean. She’s also a plutocratic religio-maniac, but that just means she’s a modern Republican.
We cannot make DeVos a singular threat in our heads. We face a tidal wave of opposition to public education that includes almost all elected state and federal legislators of both parties, the media, and much of the public.
Let’s not forget the hedge funds, corporations and billionaires that are buying representatives and underwriting many of the attacks on public education. Without all the money behind “reform,” there would be a lot fewer attacks with a lot fewer consequences. The big money behind “reform” is stacking the deck against public education. That is one reason why there is little interest in evaluating or even acknowledging the failure of most of “reform.” What is happening is not even “market driven.” It is a hostile takeover of public schools.
AMEN, retired teacher.
I disagree. DeVos is an unvarnished reformer. She can’t pretend to be a civil rights crusader. She is a perfect demonstration of the hypocrisy of privatization. Especially since we have had 25 years of vouchers and charters with nothing to show for it but disruption and less funding for public schools, attended by most students
I read “radical”, “destroying”, “turning the clock”, “ignorant”. May I have some facts on this piece? Is it possible to describe, cite, and point out primary source of information? Or just saying words is enough to back up such accusations? Just asking …
Pascual,
You can watch the Senate hearings on DeVos appointment or read this article: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/betsy-devos-christian-schools-vouchers-charter-education-secretary
Cross posted at http://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/Betsy-DeVos-A-Radical-Des-in-Best_Web_OpEds-America-Is-A-Christian-Nation_American-Schools_Diane-Ravitch_Education-170117-57.html
with this comment which has LINKS at the site.
Jack Hassard here nails the corporate and political assault on public education.
http://www.artofteachingscience.org/web-of-influence-peddling/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+artofteachingscience%2FABWH+%28The+Art+of+Teaching+Science+Blog%29
The money to privatize our schools, like they privatized our health care system an dour prison system is pouring in . here is just one article that shows this at work in NY New York Hedge Funds Pour Millions of Dollars into Cuomo-Led Bid to Expand Charter Schools | Democracy Now! https://www.democracynow.org/2015/3/11/new_york_hedge_funds_pour_millions
KNOW THE TRUTH about the end of public education; DIANE RAVITCH, former Asst Secretary of State, and author of How Not to Fix Our Public Schools and Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools has published an article for the Chronicle of Philanthropy about how the big foundations paved the way for Betsy DeVos’ nihilistic campaign to privatize public education.
https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/reform-reform
“Trump has promised to reallocate $20 billion in federal funds to promote charter schools and private-school vouchers and selected billionaire Betsy DeVos — who has long devoted her philanthropic efforts to advocating for charters and vouchers — as the next secretary of education. After the election, her American Federation for Children boasted of spending nearly $5 million on candidates that support school choice, not public schools.”Read the rest of the story HERE:
Thanks for this contribution. Adding those links provided more perspective for the reader who genuinely seeks out education and to participate on the political discussion.
However, being a volunteer on the education field, I have a strong impression that we are all aiming to the wrong foe. What is even worse : 51% of Americans are not interested in fighting the enemy, but blindly ranting against as a furious individual without much reason.
Love the cartoon. I must have seen this when I was young because I use exactly these terms when I discuss sources of America’s strength. “Public education is THE fundamental American institution” is a phrase that has become part of my personal stump speech. Note also that it doesn’t include the military.
She is just one of MANY. Quo Vadis? WHERE are we headed? So VERY many.
I watched Deutsche “Welle,, the German news TV show last night. Europe is wondering what on earth is going on in the USA. They read a FANTASTIC news item from a Scottish newspaper. I was able to find it and save it. Unfortunately it will not paste here. If you have the time and inclination and poke around on DW.org, I found it, Maybe you can too. It talks about entering the twilight zone with a Trump presidency. Beautifully, hilariously written BUT with more truth than poetry.
I just discovered.
Go to George Takei and among other things this will come up. I believe it is well worth your time. It is very short but extremely cogent.
It would be difficult to spend more money, for a poorer return than what we receive from todays public schools. While I am the product of public schools, some 50+ years ago, almost all of my successful friends received their K-12 education at parochial, or private schools. The standards of education utilized at todays public schools are for the most part, and I agree there are some exceptions, in Hillary’s words deplorable. We need to drop all of the social engineering and get back to basic education with scoring to determine who is excelling and who is being left behind. There are far too many administrators and far too few qualified teachers. BTW, just because you hold a teaching credential does not make you a qualified teacher. If your students don’t show steady progress you need to be replaced, something that unions shortstop today. One of the few things I agree with the Dims on, is that the kids deserve the best opportunity to succeed, and that ain’t happin’ today!!!
Votedmeout,
I don’t think you have been in a public school classroom in many years. I dare you to take any 8th grade math test. In any public school. Kids today learn far more than you did 50 years ago.