Betsy DeVos was grilled yesterday in Congressional hearings about her budget proposals. She was repeatedly questioned about her desire to increase charter school funding from $440 million to $500 million a year. The Network for Public Education report on the waste, fraud, and abuse in this program was cited.
While increasing the charter budget, DeVos wants to cut $18 million from the Special Olympics, which benefits 272,000 children with disabilities.
To put it mildly, her priorities are wacky. She wants to cut the budget of a successful and valuable program while heaping money on charters that are likely to never open or quickly close.
DeVos said the philanthropic community already funds the Special Olympics. The same is true of charters. Billionaires and Wall Street heap hundreds of millions on charters. The Waltons alone have spent more than a billion on charters. Why does the Federal government add hundreds of millions more?
To add insult to injury. She is proposing a 12% cut for the Department but a 15% increase in executive salaries.
Then there was this exchange, reported by Politico:
“— Another concern raised by Democrats was the department’s proposal to cut funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which funds aftercare. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) questioned DeVos about why she’s attempting again to cut a program that’s long had bipartisan support and has shown results. She noted that Congress had rebuffed the proposal last year, and instead gave the program a $10 million boost.
“— DeVos responded that the funds flowing out of the program aren’t necessarily getting to the centers that work really well and there aren’t great participation rates. She said the department’s budget focused on things “we really know are yielding results.””
If DeVos cared about results, the Department would cut funding new charters (many of which will never open, will close soon after they opened, will get poor results, or will cherrypick the students likeliest to succeed on tests), and eliminate all proposed funding to vouchers, which consistently get very poor results.
The only good thing about the DeVos heading was that Anthony Cody arrived early, sat directly behind DeVos, and scowled throughout her testimony, prominently featured on CSPAN. He was her Greek chorus.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I changed her terminology school choice to school privatization when retweeting.
Does anyone else get the creepy sensation that DeVos is like a pre-programmed automaton or cyborg when testifying? Her eyes glaze over and she puts on this smarmy grin when responding to questions, and especially when she has no coherent answer. And ya gotta love how her budgets repeatedly are so off kilter, but she keeps submitting them. Again the cyborg believes her proposals will get through, so matter how ludicrous. Terrific use of everyone’s time…
Thin, dyed blonde, female Republicans… cyborgs- it’s thing.
Kelly Anne Conway interchangeable with Betsy DeVos,
Time for a new movie: Stepford Politicians
Love the comment
That smarmy billionaire smirk…
This is disgraceful. I don’t believe this smug, pampered heiress has a decent bone in her body.
The defunding of the Special Olympics got a lot of attention on-line. The proposed cuts in funding to public education got very little attention. Public education always seems to be forgotten or taken for granted.
Vile
What’s viler than vile?
Special Olympics parents voting Republican…expletive.
Look at this legislation, not just at Devos on camera.
Devos claimed that this voluntary program “won’t take a single dollar from local public school teachers and public school students.” No so.
The “Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act” S. 635 was introduced Feb 28, 2019 by Republican Ted Cruz (TX ) with these Republican co-sponsors in the Senate: Tim Scott (SC), Lamar Alexander (TN), Tom Cotton (AR), Pat Toomey (PA) and James Lankford (OK).
The related House Bill, introduced by Bradley Byrne (AL) is H.R.1434,. It has 48 cosponsors (up to 3/14/19), all Republicans from 23 states, with more than one co-sponsor in these states: AL, SC-5, AZ-4, FL-4, MI-4, TX-4, GA-3, IN-3, NC-3, KY-2 , plus one co-sponsor from CA, CO, LA, MD, MN, MO, MT, NE, TN, , UT, WA, WV.
“Education Freedom Scholarships—up to $5 billion a year … or $50 billion over 10 years are really federal tax credits. Here is part of the marketing pitch at the USDE website:
—“A HISTORIC INVESTMENT IN AMERICA’S STUDENTS. Education Freedom Scholarships will provide for a $5 billion annual federal tax credit for voluntary donations to state-based scholarship programs.
….This proposal would empower students and families to choose the best educational setting for them – regardless of where they live, how much they make, and how they learn.
….Families receive and control the use of scholarships for their child’s elementary and secondary education, which may include career and technical education, apprenticeships, and dual and concurrent enrollment.
….Privately funded scholarships improve the educational experiences of students across the country, without taking a single dollar away from public schools and the students who attend them.
…Individual and business taxpayers nationwide contribute to student scholarships through state- identified Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). Such contributions are eligible to receive a non-refundable, dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit, but no contributor will be allowed a total tax benefit greater than the amount of their contribution.
—A LOCALLY-DRIVEN AND CUSTOMIZABLE APPROACH. This proposal gives those closest to students the freedom to decide what’s best for them. No family is forced to accept a scholarship, no taxpayer is forced to contribute, no organization is forced to participate, and no state is forced to participate.
…Each participating state will determine how it will structure its program, including eligible students, education providers, and education expenses. …Some of the ways states can expand students’ access to educational opportunities include:
……Advanced, remedial, and elective courses;
……Apprenticeships and industry certifications;
……Concurrent and dual enrollment;
……Private and home education;
……Special education services and therapies (no mention of IDEA);
……Transportation to education providers outside of a family’s zoned school;
……Tutoring, especially for students in low‐performing schools; and
……Summer and afterschool education programs.” https://sites.ed.gov/freedom/category/fact-sheet/
The USDE website says this is NOT a new Federal Program. I think that is a misleading claim because the language of the law, “Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act,” S. 635, calls for an amendment to the IRS Code: “A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish tax credits to encourage individual and corporate taxpayers to contribute to scholarships for students through eligible scholarship-granting organizations and eligible workforce training organizations, as identified by States, and for other purposes.“
Here is a fact not publicized by Devos and supporters of this mischief. A tax credit offsets your taxes regardless of the tax bracket you are in and regardless of your taxable income. This law allows a credit of up to 10% of your adjusted gross income for the taxable year. This is a boon for the wealthy, for corporations, for home schooling, religious schools and any “provider of services” subject only to very limited state approval.
State approval appears to be completed when a state uploads–to a new Federal website– “its programs and its eligible scholarship-granting organizations and eligible workforce training organizations for informational purposes only, including information on— (A) student eligibility; (B) allowable educational expenses; (C) the types of allowable education providers; (D) the percentage of funds an organization may use for program administration; and (E) the percentage of total contributions the organization awards in a calendar year.” As an alternative, a “provider” can seek “pre-approval by the Secretary of Education in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury”. Title II, Sec. 201
Here are a few other passages from S. 635, (now in the Committee on Finance).
(3) PROHIBITION OF CONTROL OVER NONPUBLIC EDUCATION PROVIDERS.
__(A) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to permit, allow, encourage, or authorize any Federal control over any aspect of any private, religious, or home education provider, whether or not a home education provider is treated as a private school or home school under State law. This Act shall not be construed to exclude private, religious, or home education providers from participation in programs or services under this Act.
__(B) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to permit, allow, encourage, or authorize an entity submitting a list of eligible scholarship-granting organizations or eligible workforce training organizations on behalf of a State to mandate, direct, or control any aspect of a private or home education provider, regardless of whether or not a home education provider is treated as a private school under state law.
__(C) No participating State or entity acting on behalf of a State shall exclude, discriminate against, or otherwise disadvantage any education provider with respect to programs or services under this Act based in whole or in part on the provider’s religious education character or affiliation, including religiously or mission-based policies or practices.
(4) PARENTAL RIGHTS TO USE SCHOLARSHIPS. No participating State or entity acting on behalf of a State shall disfavor or discourage the use of such scholarships for the purchase of elementary and secondary or workforce training education services, including those services provided by private or nonprofit entities, such as faith-based providers.
(5) STATE AND LOCAL AUTHORITY. Nothing in this section or section 45T shall be construed to modify a State or local government’s authority and responsibility to fund education. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/634/text
In other words, the program offers tax credits for leave-taking from curricula and programs typically offered by the public school system, while adding nothing to current state allocations for public school programming and activly encouraging the use of tax credits to fund religious education, including programs that exclude students and teach that diansoars were on Noah’s Ark.
I urge you to read the bill, the fact sheet marketing at the USDE website, and stop this bill from passage if at all possible. It is still in the Committee on Finance.
Thank you, Laura. Special Olympics is just one of many cuts targeting our most vulnerable students. The proposed elimination of programs like TRIO and programs for blind students are just as egregious and vicious. Advocates, please don’t focus on one program alone, it is an across-the-board assault.
Also a small program for autistic students as well as cuts to basic science programs that would help prevent disabilities
Here’s the list: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2019/03/trump-education-cuts-29-federal-programs-teacher-after-school.html
Good for Anthony. Does anyone have a snapshot of that scowl?
Yes
I will see if I can get it posted
DeVos… She is a cliche….she is trite….she is a 21st century example of the banality of modern evil.
I saw her appearance on CSPAN. She stated that no money would be withheld from public schools, to advance the proposed federal school choice program.
This sounds like a good compromise to me.
Public schools (K-12) are already 90% state/municipal funded. Perhaps the feds can just get out of K-12 altogether, and let the states/municipalities run the whole show.
The feds keep mucking up the public schools anyway.
If you believe DeVos, I have a bridge to sell you. It’s very beautiful. Reasonably priced.
On the River Kwai? Sold!
I was thinking about the beautiful and historic Brooklyn Bridge.
The metaphor of the Bridge on the River Kwai was just irresistible. Especially the final two words of the movie, “Madness, madness!”
Diane, you will make more money if you sell Charles some view property on Mars for a few million.
Ditzy DeVoid is a truly sick person. An extremist fundamentalist ideologue. Our nation’s chief public school officer, committed to eliminating public schools.
The SecEd is not the “chief public school officer”. The publicly-funded schools in this nation, existed for many years, before the feds got involved, and set up the old Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare.
The Dept of Education has a mission statement:
Mission
ED’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
Congress established the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on May 4, 1980, in the Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88 of October 1979). Under this law, ED’s mission is to:
Strengthen the Federal commitment to assuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual;
Supplement and complement the efforts of states, the local school systems and other instrumentalities of the states, the private sector, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents, and students to improve the quality of education;
Encourage the increased involvement of the public, parents, and students in Federal education programs;
Promote improvements in the quality and usefulness of education through Federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information;
Improve the coordination of Federal education programs;
Improve the management of Federal education activities; and
Increase the accountability of Federal education programs to the President, the Congress, and the public.
(END) see
https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/mission/mission.html
The current SecEd has never stated that she is going to eliminate public education in the USA. How could anyone get such a crack-brain idea?
Public Schools are a state/municipal operation. The feds operate very few K-12 schools, mostly on Indian reservations and on military bases.
You been smokin’ some “crack”, Charles? You clearly aren’t able to see the big picture. Now, move along to another blog…..maybe one professing the good of the Sackler family and how their drug empire has helped the world.
Yes, Charles. I’m sorry. I did not mean to suggest that Ditzy DeVoid has devoted herself ENTIRELY to diverting public education dollars into charter schools and into vouchers for private school tuition. Yes, she has certainly done that. But, to give her her due, she has also been quite busy undermining civil rights protections and enabling and protecting predatory for-profit “colleges.” No wonder the guy who have us “Trump University” appointed her. LOL.