They are asking me the question, ‘Is the American Dream dead?’ And the American Dream is in trouble. But we’re going to get it back and do some real jobs.
–Donald Trump, Rochester, NH Town Hall, September 17, 2015
The appointment of Betsy DeVos as education secretary will offend every teacher in this country who has studied and committed their professional careers and lives to children. It will not be a “real job” because she is not qualified.
The American dream for teachers has been to serve. Becoming a teacher takes time and effort. And no matter what any outsiders say about public schools and learning, it is the teacher within the classroom who does the job.
Most teachers attend undergraduate school for four years. They study child development, psychology, how to teach reading, math, science, social studies, art, music and other subjects.
Many go on for two more years of graduate school specializing and earning master’s degrees to prepare themselves to be even better at what they do.
Teachers are responsible for continuously learning so they can keep well-informed of the latest ideas for their students.
They also spend countless hours student teaching under the watchful eye of a supervising teacher.
Many teachers go on to earn doctorate degrees where they must do serious research and complete dissertations. This takes years!
Teachers choose their career not based on getting rich—please look at their salaries. They choose teaching because they like kids and their subject/s.
Some teachers come to the field through an alternative path. If they are to become real career teachers they will have to study and put time into understanding their profession.
Teachers work in good faith to understand their students and to help them learn and lead happy and fulfilled lives. Teaching is a helping profession! Many spend their own money to earn their degrees and credentials.
If this country turns around now and appoints an individual who has done none of this, who has never put time and effort into understanding children and teens and the problems they face, whose only claim to fame has been to give political contributions to those who wish to dismantle democratic public schools, the President-elect has deceived the American people!
It is morally wrong!
The idea of the American dream that he advocated during the campaign will be nothing but a lie.
This country has failed with past education secretaries too, but Betsy DeVos appears to have as her sole purpose in this position to end public schooling promptly. This will create disruption, the likes of which we have never seen before, for the 90% of children who rely on free public schooling.
Countless studies have indicated that vouchers do not work. The American people have repeatedly shown they do not want vouchers! As far as charter schools, groups like the NAACP are concerned about their quality.
DeVos and this President-elect and Senators have no right to do this to America’s working teachers, parents, and especially—especially—America’s children.
This is not the American dream. The American dream implies that if you work hard and try your best you will win the support of the people. Americans will watch your back and do everything they can to support you in the work that you do to help the country run.
Betsy DeVos has not worked for this job. She is no educator. She is an ideologue who has bought power and influence with her wealth.
Does that really sit well with most Americans? If it does, then I guess years of defunding public schools and the negative media lies about them have indeed taken a toll!
How many elected officials will have the courage to stand up for America’s public schools?
When will this country quit permitting those who have never studied or worked with children make the wrong decisions about them?
With Betsy DeVos it will be the end of an American institution.
Public schools are not perfect, but the reality is that they have consistently done a good job educating the populace.
They could be better, but Betsy DeVos does not know how to fix them—nor does she seem intent on doing so. She will end them.
This will be a serious downward turn for a country that is supposed to be built on hard work and principle. It will be a sad day for America when we lose our public schools. It will touch us all.
Urge your Senator to vote NO for the appointment of Betsy DeVos.
Many teachers supported trump. Many people did not vote their interest. Blaming victims is a great way to run a campaign.
I don’t think the majority of teachers support DeVos.
I agree, Nancy. I am a teacher. My friends are teachers (both in the public & private sector). None of my teacher friends voted for Trump. (That doesn’t mean no teachers did – but, I believe most did not.) Thank you for sharing our message!
There are children in Grand Rapids who know her in a different light. She has paid for their education and sat next to them in their classrooms. She may not be educated in the same way as teachers, as I am (a teacher of 38 years with three degrees), but her heart is in the right place. A visionary she is! She doesn’t have to hold the degrees I hold in order to see a better path or to put her money into pursuing a quality education for ALL children. I grew up in public education K-12. Imagine a public education that is better than it is now!
Sen. Debbie Stabenow has already said thumbs down to DeVos. Why would she do that if she thought she was good for public schools?
I have read about Grand Rapids before–maybe from you, Pam, and I don’t get it.
Why does everyone else think she is a visionary for privatization?
And I very much disagree that you don’t need degrees and and ACTUAL background working with students for education secretary.
Also, what’s the deal with your school board. Why don’t they comment one way or the other? https://griid.org/2016/12/05/grps-school-board-members-remain-silent-on-betsy-devos-as-education-secretary/
If DeVos was such a fan for public schooling, why hasn’t she said so?
I believe in competition but don’t drag vouchers into the private schools. Our small town private schools don’t want government funding of any kind.
That’s a good point to make and something that needs to be thought out thoroughly. I can see and might even advise private schools not to take government money at all in any circumstance, for instance, even Title 1 dollars.. The beauty for the future is in the choice that all parents would be able to make–choosing which school is best for their particular children. I like putting the control into the parents’ hands.
Vouchers sound good to so many for the point you make, Pam. However, public schools are about all children. That’s sometimes difficult for many to understand.
Also, usually the problem is that parents get a lump sum, and for wealthy parents it supplements placement in a good private school.
Poorer parents are still unable to place their children in good private schools and wind up in poor charters or parochial schools that aren’t regulated.
Studies show that vouchers to students with disabilities, for example, usually go to parochial schools that do nothing for disabilities.
Most people don’t want vouchers and many private schools don’t want them either. But I appreciate your point of view and I understand it.
Nancy, this was my first time replying, so it wasn’t me. I didn’t work for GRPS, and I don’t know their position.
Yes, I realize that now. My mistake. Sorry for the confusion.
There is so much egregiously wrong with Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education that I don’t know where to start. I was very pleased to see that my Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), who is on the Senate HELP committee, and 5 other Senators sent this letter to Betsy DeVos yesterday. It asks probing questions regarding her history of roles in and donations to 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) groups. https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/DeVos%20Political%20Spending%20Letter_%20Signed%201-5-2017.pdf
Just a different perspective from a 22 year educator who was oppressed from speaking my opinion regarding charter schools and public school options for years for fear of backlash: what if DeVos is not necessarily AGAINST public education, but is FOR OUR CHILDREN regardless how that is accomplished? If that means the PARENTS get the choose what is best for their children (which may be some school that isn’t failing and/ or dangerous) why is that wrong? What if this was actually about THE STUDENTS instead of the public schools and their funding and the teachers’ unions? Because that’s what it really is all about, not students. Parents deserve a choice and some don’t have that if they can’t afford private school.
Thank you for your questions, Loretta.
Our public schools are for ALL American children collectively. We own them through our local school boards. They demonstrate accountability.
I do not want to pay tax dollars for private, religious or even homeschooling. I don’t know if they are effectively teaching children or not. That’s why Sen. Kaine’s question at the DeVos hearing was so important.
I am not being critical of those forms of education. I just don’t want to pay for them with my tax dollars. If parents don’t want free public schooling they can find their own means of teaching their children and pay for it themselves. It is THEIR choice but taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for it.
In an attempt to clarify, I wasn’t referring to religious education. I do feel that if a parent wishes to send their child to any religious school they should pay for it. I have paid for my son’s Catholic education for 7 years. So with that being my choice can I demand my tax dollars back from the schools that I chose not to send him to (whatever form they may be-property/sales) because they may not have met my standards? I am a taxpayer-do I have those rights also? My point is regarding parental choice. Maybe you don’t want YOUR money paying for some schools but we are ALL taxpayers so how do we divide this up? Charter schools ARE public schools and are held to the same state standards and are held accountable (regardless what rumors may swirl) as traditional public schools.
Public schools are for ALL children. None are excluded. They are for educating the masses.
You aren’t referring to religious schools but that’s where many vouchers go.
Charters are not always accountable. Read about the charters in Detroit and Florida and many other places where the owners take the money and run.
Read my post about Betsy DeVos and special education vouchers. Catch the link there while you are at it.
The only reason charters are public schools is because they take public dollars.
And they don’t take students with disabilities or ELL students. Please read the other side. Thank you. .
In cases where charter schools are not held to accountable standards I agree those should be changed to meet standards like all others. Regarding charter schools being public because they take public dollars: I don’t see your point; isn’t that what all public schools do? You are generalizing all charter schools. I am not sure what particular disabilities you are referring to that are denied; I teach at a charter and we accept all students. We have IEPs and accommodations in place. We also adhere to state testing, teacher accountability and all of our teachers are required to be state certified. In my opinion this is a big part of the problem with the misinformation regarding Charter schools-certainly there are some that may need regulating and may “take the money and run”. I don’t deny corruption I am a realist. However, if a percentage of students can benefit from a different way, (which I know scared some), why can’t that be a consideration? Education is supposedly about differentiation for students; providing for THEIR educational needs. If that is happening in a charter school I don’t understand why that is “bad” especially if a parent is choosing to place them there. They pay taxes, too.
Our education system just is not working the way it is and has been. I have watched it deteriorate over the last 22 years and it’s so disheartening.
The reason the public school system isn’t working is so it can be privatized. It has been intentionally defunded for years. Charters were originally for teachers and the community to run and maybe you work in one like that, but most are chain and/or for-profit and they have done poorly.
Two school systems cannot be funded well and we are the only country to have such a set up. We need people to come together and be vested in one good system. Thanks for sharing your experience though and I am happy you are in a good charter.
I’m not sure I buy into the conspiracy theory that our children’s education has been deliberately sabotaged so that we can all fight over (inadequate) funding…I think they evolved as a result of frustration with schools where students couldn’t get an education because basically class sizes grew, distractions grew and teachers became overburdened. I was in what I consider to be a good public school; I had fairly supportive leadership but the accountability, testing and extra work in general was killing me. I didn’t seek to work in a charter; however I have learned since starting there that there are parents and students who are benefitting greatly, MANY who would have dropped out if not for an alternative. There has to be a way to provide an alternative for those students and parents (perhaps I am just hopelessly wanting it both ways I guess).
I must admit though, as a veteran educator I am bothered by the fact that DeVos isn’t an educator. That is my one issue with her. I hope for the best, as I know we all do.
Also-I will research the links you suggested; I plan to stay informed. It is in everyone’s best interest to do so. I appreciate a positive, civil discussion. It is refreshing.