Betsy DeVos is visiting McMinnville High zschool in Oregon today. The parents are not happy about it. They love their public school. They are afraid that Betsy doesn’t. They are right. Betsy thinks their kids should go to charters or religious schools, even lousy virtual charters. Even if only a small percentage should leave, their high school will have to lay off teachers, close down programs, cut the arts.
Bad deal.
She should listen to the parents.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
We have to find ways to support public ed. Let’s build capacity rather than dismantling.
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Please explain what you mean by “build capacity”. Gracias, Duane
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I think it’s unfair to the families in public schools when politicians visit and bash public schools.
They must know this works against parents. We’re telling them to respect teachers and work hard at school. The last thing I need is this political operative telling my son he’s sitting there “waiting for the bell”, which is what DeVos told students last time. He (still) likes school, mostly. That’s a good thing. I don’t need federal employees telling him he’s miserable and the adults in his school are working against his interests.
If they won’t help can they at least refrain from harming public schools? That seems like the least we could ask from people we’re all paying. Just drop pushing the political agenda for the 15 minutes they’re in a school. They’re kids. They’re not savvy enough to recognize they’re being used.
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This is what she said in the last community she visited:
“For far too many kids, this year’s first day back to school looks and feels a lot like last year’s first day back to school. And the year before that. And the generation before that. And the generation before that!
That means your parent’s parent’s parents!
“Most students are starting a new school year that is all too familiar. Desks lined up in rows. Their teacher standing in front of the room, framed by a blackboard. They dive into a curriculum written for the “average” student. They follow the same schedule, the same routine—just waiting to be saved by the bell.
It’s a mundane malaise that dampens dreams, dims horizons, and denies futures.”
She was at one of her preferred schools so this was meant to compliment that school, but that school is one piece of a public education system in that town. She’s really this clueless? She doesn’t realize that ALL of these kids attend public schools and she’s trashing 90% of the town? Boy, lucky kids in that one school. Too bad she’s now told the other 90% they’re suffering from “mundane malaise” – is this meant to be helpful? To whom?
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She’s on her “Godly” mission. She will be the savior to all those millions of children…..she’s delusional. She is a religious zealot and a charlatan.
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I hope the people of Oregon give her an appropriate “welcome.” I think they should picket outside the building, but do the same type of silent protest with signs that was done before. They should let her know they are not buying what she is selling, but they should let her ramble on with her lies.
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I hope the students either ignore her completely (turning their backs would be good) or else take advantage of the opportunity to challenge her. I’d love for a public school student to ask her what she has against public schools. I hope the school hasn’t groomed (threatened) these kids to be “polite”.
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I wonder if Betsy really knows what she is saying. She talks out of both sides of her mouth.
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When it comes to what others think unless it is the same thing that Betsy thinks, Betsy is deaf, dumb, and mute. Is it time to heed Thomas Jefferson’s advice yet?
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