Betsy DeVos has been nominated as Secretary of Education by Donald Trump. As an education major and as a person whose family has always been deeply involved in the field of education, I am particularly interested in this Cabinet appointee. Unfortunately, many of Mrs. DeVos’s answers at her confirmation hearing left me anxious, even afraid for the future of public education and the future of the children involved. My issues with Mrs. DeVos do not stem from political or philosophical differences, as much as a profound sense that she is wholly unqualified for the job. These are some of the reasons why the nomination of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education concerns me.
1. DeVos thinks guns should be allowed in schools to protect students and teachers from grizzly bears.
When Senator Murphy (D-Connecticut) asked DeVos if she thought guns had a place in schools, DeVos responded that she believed that a school in Wapiti, Wyoming, “probably had a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzly bears.”
Not only is her response absolutely ridiculous, but it also has no basis of merit. In Wyoming, it is against state law to have any weapons on school property, meaning that there is not a gun in the school to protect against potential grizzlies. Instead, the school is surrounded by a fence (which does a pretty good job of keeping the bears out of the school yard). 63 people were killed and 156 were wounded by guns in 201 school shootings between Jan. 1, 2013, and Oct. 31, 2016. In Yellowstone National Park, where bear attacks are probably most frequent, the chances of being injured by a bear are about one in 2.1 million. Wapiti, Wyoming has a population of 177.
2. She has no experience with the public school system.
Another reason DeVos is completely unqualified to be Secretary of Education is she has absolutely no experience with the public school system, nor does she have any experience in dealing with PELL grants, student loans, or any other type of financial aid, an area of which she would be in charge. If appointed, one of DeVos’ duties as Secretary of Education would be being responsible for managing a trillion dollar student loan bank, as well as distributing $30 billion dollars worth of PELL grants to students each year. She and her family come from an affluent background and her family’s approximate net worth $5.1 billion. DeVos also has no experience with the public school system. She did not attend public schools, her children did not attend public schools, and she has not taught in the public school system. Personally, I think the person in charge of the future of the public school system should have a great deal of experience in the public school system, rather than no experience whatsoever.
3. She would not commit to enforcing the federal laws already in place.
When Senator Tim Kaine asked DeVos if she thought public, public charter, and private K-12 schools that received federal funding should meet the same accountability standards, DeVos’ only response, even after Kaine rephrased the question several times, was “I support accountability.” Finally, she said that she did not think all schools should have equal accountability.
Kaine also asked her if all K-12 schools receiving public funding should have to comply with the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law already in place. DeVos said she thought “that is an issue best left to the states.”
The fact that DeVos would not commit to enforcing the federal laws already in place, especially one concerning students with learning disabilities, greatly angers and scares me. All students, regardless of any disability they may or may not have, deserve a quality education.
I hope that the reasons I’ve listed above are enough to make you agree that Betsy DeVos is highly unqualified to be Secretary of Education, and I urge you to call your state senators and let them know that you do not want Betsy DeVos to be the next Secretary of Education.
