By Khrista Sayo

The Mirror Staff

By Tyler Jung

The Mirror Staff

NEWS

Unqualified Hostile to Education

NEWS: Meet the billionaire who’s goal is to dismantle public education in the U.S.

Betsy DeVos is now the 11th Secretary of Education of the United States. Judging by the quality of her answers from the Senate confirmations, the future of America’s education might hit some potholes.

The Senate deadlocked on whether or not to confirm DeVos for the position. With 46 Democrat, 2 Independent, and 2 Republican votes rejecting the Republican nominee, Vice President Mike Pence broke the tie—the first time in history that a Vice President was called to the Capitol Building to break a tie on a cabinet post confirmation.

As expected, Pence voted in favor of DeVos’ nomination which confirmed her position as the Secretary of Education.

The new Secretary of Education seems to have acquired her meager credentials primarily through support of private and charter schools in Michigan.

The DeVos family has donated millions of dollars to President Trump’s campaign. In addition, Betsy DeVos has been an avid supporter of private education and government vouchers for education—tax money to pay for student tuition at private schools and universities.

An avowed foe of public education, DeVos has strongly advocated for $20 billion of government money to support low-income students interested in private or religious schools.

On the surface, this act may seem beneficial to those students pursuing education from a private establishment. However, the majority of America’s school-aged population goes to public schools. Defunding or diverting government subsidies for public education institutions into private schools would be detrimental to efforts being made to improve public education.

Public education leads to a “dead end” in the system, according to De Vos, a viewpoint which she uses to further push for more government support of private education.

De Vos advocates a radical shift in the education system from publicly-run schools to private and charter schools.

Public education exists for the benefit of everyone in society. Private education exists for those who can afford it.

Currently, tax dollars finance the educational institutions that cultivate the next generations who will lead our country. Depriving funding for public schools would only hurt the learning and development of students nationwide.

Millions of children have benefitted from the advantages that public education has to offer and continue to do so today. Children from low-income families or those who choose not to affiliate with private, often religious institutions are still offered the same opportunities and prospects that students in private schools have access to.

The Obama and Bush Administrations made serious attempts to improve public schools across the country. Major school districts including LAUSD offer nutritional programs like Breakfast in the Classroom to provide food for all students—no matter their economic status—because of federal funding.

Limiting already restricted subsidies that public schools receive from the state and federal government would only degrade their current conditions.