By John Auchter
What goes on in Betsy DeVos’s head? Why would somebody who clearly disdains public servants want to be a public servant by leading an enormous agency of public servants? I don’t know, but let’s conjecture:
I don’t think her decision-making is directly related to being hyper-rich. There are plenty of hyper-rich people who have demonstrated human empathy and have made excellent public servants. Some point to her Calvinist Christianity roots (I have grace, you don’t — I’m going to heaven, you…are not.). But true Calvinists tend to be insular and generally avoid having to spend time with the riff-raff.
No, if I had to guess I’d say it’s her zealous ideology, which may be the one thing that humanizes her. We all can get caught up in wanting our vision to be right so badly that we willingly ignore anything that proves it otherwise — facts, actual data, real-world consequences.
DeVos clearly believes that vouchers and charters and her vision of marketplace competition will bring education excellence to our United States. And I don’t disagree that some of these principles have merit. What scares me about DeVos is her unwillingness (or inability) to celebrate the successes of public education. Yes, there have been abject failures, but they have been vastly outnumbered by systems that work extremely well and are cornerstones of communities. We should build on that, not steal from it.
John Auchter draws cartoons. Lots and lots of them. You can find them at his incredibly popular website auchtoon.com. You can also find his stuff on Michigan Public Radio’s website under Opinion.
Betsy DeVos is also motivated by the same thing that motivates her boss, self interest and greed. She bought her position with the huge political contributions she made. She has no experience in the field of education, but she did (does) have a financial interest in for-profit charter schools. She would also like to issue vouchers for private religious schools.
I taught in a parochial school, and would have loved it if we could have accepted vouchers, as it would have probably increased my salary. However, I understood that financing a religious school with tax payer funds is unconstitutional. She apparently does not understand that.
Betsy DeVos bought her position in the Trump fiasco and is as big of an embarrassment as he is.
I find it very interesting that the members of CONgress (both democrats and republicans) who are against schools of choice and charter schools send the children to PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
Dale Kildea when he was in office and had a house somewhere around the Washington D.C. area
did not send his children to public schools, but he sent them to PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
The politicians do not want their children going to public schools. Especially the ones located in the large cities of the United States.
If Andrew and John Auchter would do some actual looking at where politicians send their children and then report on what they find out.
As a side note the 1st book of choice to that used as a standard of education before and after the American Revolution was the Bible.
Time for Betsy to slither back to her “beached whale” mansion on Lake Macatawa.
https://www.businessinsider.com/betsy-devos-summer-home-mcmansion-hell-kate-wagner-review-2018-8
I hang out with teachers three to five days a week. So far I have not heard one who could say “Betsy DeVos” with out sounding as if that phrase was some form of profanity.
She wants to destroy teacher unions, privatize schools and promote the right wing agenda in school curricula.
Be honest…what have teacher unions really done to better the schools for our children in the last 60 years? What has the liberal left agenda done for the schools in that same time period? Teaching kids how to put a condom on a cuke or banana, allowing pregnant girls to attend school, taking God out of schools, taking real discipline out of schools and tying the hands of teachers with more and more government mandated academic programs and testing has made the schools what they are. Politicians continue to point out the fault in the schools that THEY have helped create and then find the solution to be to pour more money into the schools and more mandates. What a merry-go-round! But of course, we can’t let someone with right wing ideas try to make a change.
I loath the idea of our tax money going to private businesses of ANY kind which are NOT non-profit. And that is exactly what this witch wants. It is past time our government stops supporting CEO’S with our tax money.
ann b, What have unions done? For one thing they have boosted teacher salaries enough to allow motivated teachers to make a career out of teaching. They have made it a viable career. Your comment about pregnant girls really p—ed me off. Many years ago, one of the best and brightest young women in my graduating class was thrown out of High School (and denied a diploma) when she stared to “show” only six weeks before the end of the school year. Of course the “guy” who got her pregnant walked proudly up to the principal and was handed his diploma. Oh, and you want to teach religion in public schools. Which one? Islam? Buddhism? Shinto? Something else? Shouldn’t that be the responsibility of the parents? I do agree that we do need more discipline in schools. Of course we would not need that IF parents would teach responsibility and manners to their children.
Sorry if I p—d you off, but I had a sister in the early 1960’s who was 4 months pregnant when she graduated H.S. No one knew she was pregnant, including our mother. Yes, it’s unfortunate that boys and girls are different and the guy doesn’t get the same treatment, but that’s a long way from where we are now, where anything goes. I did not say I want religion to be taught in schools, but we have taken any mention of the fact that there is ANY god out of any discussion. As far as discipline is concerned, it’s a damn shame that a few kids can ruin a whole school, because there are always those who plead that the kid belongs in school when there is any attempt at discipline. My family are almost all teachers, so I know all the horror stories. What we need are places like trade schools where these untamed, un-parented kids would have to go – almost like reform school, where they can learn without disrupting every other classroom for the rest of the people, teachers, and parents who ARE trying.
You made my point about teacher unions, in that they have NOT made it better for the kids and don’t fight enough against the liberal mandates. It’s fine that they try to make it better for teachers, but they’re ignoring really what teachers are left with.
Beyond that Oldugly, Madrassa have lots of “God” in school.
Lots.
Also physical discipline and I can guarantee you, not a lick of condom application instruction.
None.
What’s ironic is that the people the go on and on the most about God in belonging in school would be the most terrified of a madrassa opening up in their community.
Hypocritical and cowardly, what a miserable condition in which to find one’s self.
William D. Roberts do you watch the ball games on tv (football, baseball) ?
Do you get upset when the owners of these large arenas claim that they non-profits and
get government tax breaks and other benefits from local, state and federal tax authorities?
The Little Caesar owners conned the government bureaucrats to give them all sorts of stuff
to build their new stadium in Detroit. Were you unhappy with that deal?