***Update:
At the time this letter was read at Monday’s board meeting,
the hearing regarding Betsy DeVos’ nomination as the secretary of education was
still scheduled for Wednesday, January 11. Later that evening, the Senate
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions postponed the hearing until
January 17 at 5:00 PM.
This is a letter to the editor that I will submit for the January 12 edition of the Belleville-Area Independent.
-----
To the Editor:
This week marks a defining moment for public education in
the United States. On Wednesday, January 11, a hearing will have taken place
regarding Betsy DeVos’ nomination as the
secretary of education.
During the past few board meetings, I have expressed my
concerns publicly about Mrs. DeVos’ appointment to the top education post, and
I reiterate those same concerns here. I have contacted Senator Stabenow and
Peter’s offices, and they both have now expressed their concerns regarding this
appointment and have vowed to vote against her nomination. I commend this move
from our senators on behalf of the students in Michigan’s public schools.
In Michigan, DeVos has been an outspoken advocate for charter
schools. As Stephen Henderson of the Detroit
Free Press has written, she and other family members have given over $2
million to GLEP, the Great Lakes Education Project, a political action
committee that promotes “school choice.” She is a member of the American
Federation for Children as well as other organizations that encourage “choice”
and “parental empowerment.” While these phrases sound good, they all operate
under the guise of improving academic outcomes but are supported by incredibly
troublesome records of achievement.
I encourage anyone wishing to learn more about Michigan’s
lackluster results with charter schools to read “Michigan spends $1B on charterschools but fails to hold them accountable” from the Free Press.
I am deeply troubled over the possibility of her appointment
to this post for a myriad of reasons, including: her utter lack of experience
in public schools, as she did not attend a public school, did not send her
children to public schools, and has never worked in a public school; the DeVos
family’s contributions to undermine increased charter school oversight,
including lifting the cap on the number of charter schools in Michigan; and her
involvement in the 2000 campaign to amend Michigan’s constitution to allow
school vouchers, which is currently prevented by the Blaine amendment.
At the time this letter was submitted, the Office of
Government Ethics, the department responsible for vetting cabinet nominees, has
expressed concerns about DeVos and the seemingly rushed nomination process as
well, noting that her ethics review was still incomplete.
I believe that the secretary of education should put
research first, and he or she should represent the best interests of our public
schools and not work to undermine them.
Sincerely,
Kevin English
Trustee, VBPS Board of Education
Resident, Sumpter Township
I like your style, Mr. English, and even more, your substance.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone think DeVos as secretary of education is a good idea?
ReplyDelete