Betsy DeVos has become a household name; all she is good for is talk. She’s proven she has no clue what she’s talking about time and time again, most recently on “60 Minutes.” She is extremely good at being one-dimensional and great at parroting her talking points.
For most of us who have graduated from high school or don’t have kids, it’s hard to care about DeVos’ core agenda regarding K-12 education. Fortunately for us, DeVos is her own worst enemy. She is completely hands-off and refuses to offer aid and structure, which leads to a dead end. She applies this same methodology to public higher education as well.
The worst she’s done to institutes of higher education in her yearlong tenure is repeal and redefine rules about civil-rights and sexual-assault cases. But even then, many universities have taken a hard line and assured students of their dedication to pursue the cases as before. What’s frightening is what DeVos will do in the future, because it’s clear she does not believe in public education.
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Funding public higher education is taking a hit, and we here in Iowa know that all too well, as well as the aftermath of tuition hikes. The University of Iowa and Iowa State University must cut $11 million from their budgets midyear. If DeVos continues on her crusade and starts taking action, funding for public schools, universities, and colleges will disappear.
This problem is not only here in Iowa. Higher education has taken funding cuts across the nation. This not only affects the crucial research and exchange of information but the education of the future of this nation. What will the secretary do about this? The answer is simple: nothing, because it doesn’t fit her one-dimensional agenda. If she wants to be an advocate for students (which she repeats again and again), this would be perfect time to ask states to prioritize education funding.
The one thing DeVos has proved well is her elitism. She treats education at all levels as a commodity and privilege, not a right. She has no clue how important public education is, let alone education in general. She doesn’t visit underperforming schools, thinks historically black colleges and universities are pioneers of school choice, and can’t even give you data about the ideas she advocates for.
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Her mantra is “invest in students,” but how can you invest in them when you don’t believe in funding the buildings they go to, the educators who teach them, or the curricula they learn? All these factors are vital to students’ learning. Everyday citizens know that, so it’s shocking that the U.S. secretary of education doesn’t.
Education isn’t just about what you learn, it’s also about forming relationships and gaining life skills. This is true from kindergarten all the way to graduate school. We not only need funding for programming, research, curricula, and buildings but funding for educators. We need to support them, and we need an education secretary who believes in them and the institutions they work for and represent.