It's Time To "Get Uncomfortable"

“Get uncomfortable, challenge your own perceptions to find clarity, be fearless, be kind, meet someone new.”

Those words were spoken by Mandy Manning, newly elected National Teacher of the Year. More on her below...

Time to focus on the little stuff

In a recent NY Times interview, Joan Baez said of her own activism, "I don't think we can think in big terms now, or we'll just get under the covers and never get out. The little stuff almost becomes more important right now, because you have a chance at it. The world we are living in is being made horrible and is going to need every little victory—that your family and friends feel some kind of support, some kind of goodness." 

It was like she was reading my mind.

With the advent of the current administration regime, education activism has become much more than fighting against vouchers, charter schools and standardized testing. It now also includes gun violence, immigration rights, racism, LGBTQ rights, women's rights, an education secretary who is a religious zealot, and the overall fight for the survival of our democracy. As our nation veers toward a Constitutional crisis, I want to focus—as Joan says—on "the little stuff"—our students, because that's where this all started. 

Time to challenge perceptions

In a recent open letter to Betsy DeVos on the current national wave of teacher strikes, I included some pictures of the horrendous conditions in which children in the wealthiest nation on earth are expected to learn. Far too many of our students also live in these—or worse—conditions. In another post, I called out the current keepers of the ideals of this once great nation for abandoning her most precious resource: our future, our children. The wealthiest nation in the history of humanity has turned its back on its children because tax cuts for the wealthy are supposed to magically cure our nation's ills. 

These posts are but drops of water in the vast ocean of education activists who, for more than a decade, have been challenging our nation's leaders on their failed and profit-driven education policies. But every drop combines to create great waves that batter the established shoreline—right on up to the White House—like this one last week:

On Wednesday, EdWeek reported that, at the State Teachers of the Year meeting with Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos, National Teacher of the Year, Mandy Manning, staged a silent protest. She "wore several buttons on her dress, including one that said Trans Equality Now, one for the Women's March, and one of a rainbow-colored apple." She also presented him with letters written by her students. 

Manning said on a press call that the pins were meant to convey her message of support for all of her populations of students. "[Our students] are wanted; they are loved; they are enough; they matter," she said. 

Manning teaches newly arrived immigrant and refugee students in Washington state. She told Education Week that she had her students write letters to the White House to share their stories—from bureaucratic red tape splitting up families to being told to "go back to Africa." 

She was prohibited by Trump from giving her speech, which focused on the plight of her students, but later gave it on CNN's Van Jones Show:

 


Thank you, Mandy, for being a powerful voice for all your students, especially those whose voices have been silenced for far too long. I look forward to your advocacy this coming year.

The other State Teachers of the Year sparred with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos over a host of issues including vouchers, school funding and the current wave of teacher strikes, to which DeVos responded with her tired script about teacher protests being "at the expense of kids and their opportunity to go to school and learn."

Montana's Teacher of the Year, Melissa Romano told reporters, "For her to say at the ‘expense of children’ was a very profound moment and one I’ll remember forever, because that is so far from what is happening."

Time to name names

Among the most moving memorials I have ever seen are the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC, the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero, and the placards outside the late Senator Frank Lautenberg's DC office that listed the names and pictures of all our brave service men and women killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They remind us not only of profound events, but forever memorialize the individual human beings whose lives were ended by man's inhumanity to man. 

For far too many children in this country their home life is as horrendous as—or worse than—the conditions in their schools. It's easy for anyone (myself included) on either side of the education fight to speak of these children in terms of statistics and/or generalizations. Sometimes we need to. But we also need to give a name to these statistics. We need to hear their stories in all their heartbreaking detail, we need to confront our own fears, admit our misconceptions, and, as Mandy said, "get uncomfortable" with the reality they face, because that is what really matters.  

To that end, going forward I will be devoting much of this blog to telling your stories of individual students and the education professionals who are their greatest champions. The series will be called "Educating 'Reformers'". As always, student and teacher privacy and confidentiality are my number one concerns. Unless I have written permission from teachers and students, all names and locations will be changed.

If you have a story you would like to share, please contact me at mcorfield610@gmail.com.

Dear @BetsyDeVosED THIS is what it means to "serve the students"

Dear Betsy,

I hear you aren't happy with Oklahoma teachers who walked off the job to protest the drastic cuts to school funding in their state. You told them they should "serve the students." You also called the strike by West Virginia teachers—who, along with OK teachers, are among the lowest paid in the country—an "adult squabble." Interesting choice of words from the head of a department that has, for the better part of the past 20 years, treated us like servants. Interesting choice of words from someone who knows virtually nothing about education law or policy; who never spent a day in her life inside a public school; who has absolutely no concept of what a public school teacher does or what it's like to work two, three or more jobs to keep a roof over your head; who wants nothing more than to shutter public schools and use that money to fund religious schools. 

What, exactly, should that "service" look like? Tea and crumpets and classical music at lunch? Neck massages after computer class? Or perhaps valet parking for those students who are fortunate enough to afford a car? 

How much more "service" must teachers perform? How many more classroom supplies, and food and clothing for their students must they buy with their own money? How many more students must be packed into their classrooms? How much more are they supposed to do with ever-decreasing budgets before you, or some elected official with strings attached to the oil lobby realizes what's going on in Oklahoma's schools? 

When is enough enough?

Since you continue to remain woefully ignorant of the workings of public schools (I guess that stuff's just not important to a billionairess who can build whatever school she wants with a wave of her magic wand), allow me to educate you on exactly what those teachers—and others around the country—are doing in "service" to their students:

Did you see these images? I can't imagine you didn't, seeing as how they went viral. But just in case you missed them, here's CNN's report. They were taken by real Oklahoma teachers, and are real pictures of what they have to work with every single day thanks to their state's massive education cuts. Did you have these problems when you were in school? Did your children? I bet not.

Sarah Jane Scarberry

According to the article: 

Scarberry also shared images of her classroom's broken desks and chairs, and said they weren't too bad compared to other classrooms. 

"As for the desks, I'm more fortunate than most I guess. My husband works with me at Heavener and works in maintenance. He usually can use salvageable parts from discarded desks to keep me going," she told CNN. (emphasis mine)

Sarah Jane Scarberry

Mary Burton

Teacher Mary Burton shared this picture of the anatomy books her students have to use at Eisenhower High School in Lawton, Oklahoma.

"I don't have enough and the ones left are in terrible shape," she said. 

Last year, her class's 25 anatomy books were shared by about 70 students, Burton said. 

"Because graduation requirements changed, I only have one section of human anatomy, so there are enough books for my students for the first year in a long time," she said.

On Twitter, user jamiebh73 shared a photo of a textbook from her daughter's eighth-grade history class in Owasso. In the book, George W. Bush is still president, she said. (emphasis mine)

Allyson Kubat, who teaches at Mustang High Scool, just southwest of Oklahoma City, said the textbooks students in her public speaking class use are so old that they advise them to ask librarians about "this new thing called the Internet" and explain how to use microfiche. (emphasis mine)

 The article ends with this quote from Scarberry:

"I could go on for days about the things we need, and the opportunities my students deserve. For myself, a raise sounds great, but this walkout for me was never about that. It was always funding for our schools," she said. (emphasis mine)

Can you imagine this??? I can. This is what happens when states give massive tax cuts to corporations. This is what happens when teachers are treated like servants instead of highly-educated professionals. This is what happens when years of begging and pleading with elected officials, who care more about tax cuts for corporate donors than the future of this country, falls on deaf ears. This is what happens when teachers and parents say, "Enough!" This is not an "adult squabble." This is a fight for every child in the state of Oklahoma (and West Virginia and Kentucky and Arizona) to have a good education. This is what happens when teachers "serve the students."

This is a national disgrace, and as Secretary of Education, you should be leading the charge to fix this instead of trying to sweep it under the rug. The wealthiest country in the history of humanity has schools that rival those of third-world countries while our government blames teachers, slashes budgets and says testing and privatization are somehow going to magically fix everything. 

This is just the beginning. This "service" to the students is only going to grow. You would do well to educate yourself.

Hey NJ! Whatcha Gonna Do About DeVos?

On January 11, the Senate will hold confirmation hearings on Betsy DeVos. Since Trump nominated her for Secretary of Education, a great deal has been written about how she has used her money, power and influence to destroy public education in Michigan, and advance her religious beliefs. See here and here. Jersey Jazzman wrote two important pieces within the past few days. 

My religion is right for your kids!

So, what can you do? Well, if you think 'Nothing', keep reading.

Yesterday, House Republicans ditched plans to eliminate the Independent Ethics Office in part because of all the phone calls they received from angry constituents. Heck, even Donald Trump wasn't thrilled:

So, if we can get that many people to jam the phone lines of our elected officials, there may be a chance. What can I say? I'm an eternal optimist.

I created this handy form to give to members in my district. Scripts were generated by the Network for Public Education. I included PA senators because a good chunk of them live there. Feel free to edit to suit your audience.  

And if you've already called your senators, call again. And again, and again, and again. Encourage every voter you know who cares about how public money is spent, who cares about public education and who cares about separation of church and state.

Doing nothing is not an option.

Who Really Wins in Privatization?

Who was the biggest lottery winner in NJ in 2016? Not Joe Schmoe. Not the people in that office pool. Not even that kid in Newark trying to get into that charter school. Nope, it was the lottery company itself. Today's Star Ledger ran this story about Northstar New Jersey, the private company that Gov. Christie handed the once state-run lottery operation over to in 2012:

The private gaming joint venture that operates New Jersey's lottery received a more than $30 million bonus despite having originally over-promised a billion dollars in revenue at the start of its contract, its latest annual report shows. 

Northstar New Jersey, which oversees Powerball, MegaMillions as well as various scratch off games, was paid a $30.6 million incentive for reaching contractual obligations that were renegotiated downward in February to more easily attainable goals. 

At the urging of Gov. Chris Christie in 2012, the state entered into a 15-year contract with Northstar under which the gaming venture committed to sending "at least" $1.42 billion in additional income back to New Jersey in exchange for its making an upfront payment of $120 million in 2013. Northstar was the only bidder on the contract. 

That agreement was short-lived, however. 

After Northstar fell short of its promised income targets two years in a row, it renegotiated its contract with the state. In Feb. 2016, the company's financial targets were lowered by $1 billion through 2029, about $76 million less a year.
In 2013, Northstar had been forced to tap into a $20 million reserve established at the outset of its contract with New Jersey to pay for its shortage penalties. 

But because 2016 produced an unexpected surge in ticket sales -- more than $3.29 billion through June -- the conglomerate was able to finally reach its renegotiated contractual obligations, according to its 2016 annual report, which runs through New Jersey's fiscal year ending June 30, 2016. 

New Jersey lottery officials faced questions from state lawmakers Tuesday on a private lottery contractor's failure to live up to its promises to increase sales and payments into the state treasury. 

Northstar, a joint venture made up of lottery operators GTECH and Scientific Games along with the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, was also paid $104 million for "management and system fees" as well as advertising and marketing costs, the report said. 

The state gets back $987 million, or 30 percent of the $3.29 billion in 2016 ticket sales, the absolute minimum required by law.  

"Record-breaking sales enabled the Lottery to make a record-breaking contribution to its beneficiaries," Carole Hedinger, the lottery's executive director, said in a statement released to media. 

"The Lottery could not have achieved those goals without investments made by Northstar New Jersey in technology, marketing, personnel, retailer expansion and capital equipment," said Will Rijksen, director of communications with the state's Treasury. 

Rijksen also noted that after Northstar's contract was renegotiated, its bonus shrank to 3 percent of net income, down from 5 percent. Doing so, Rijksen said, ensured "that Northstar would not receive a windfall if (ticket) sales turned up dramatically." 

Much of the 2016 windfall was the result of greater public interest in Powerball, which had its first billion-dollar jackpot this year, resulting in $93 million more in tickets sold that had been budgeted, according to the annual report. 

But William Weld, the two-time governor of Massachusetts who's previously served as national co-chairman of the U.S. Privatization Council wrote a recent op-ed in Forbes that "even as a long-time proponent of private management, I am constrained to say that the results obtained by private managers in Illinois and New Jersey have been a disappointment." 

An email to Northstar officials requesting comment was not immediately returned, and there was no answer at the telephone number for its Princeton headquarters. (emphasis mine)

Whether it's privately run prisons, lotteries or charter schools, the number one goal, like any private industry, is to make a profit, not service the people. So, it's no surprise that today, Carol Burris posted this:

Read the article here. When there's no fiscal oversight, no public input, no local control, but many lobbyists and political influences, charters are free to do whatever they want with taxpayer money.

And, if Betsy DeVos is appointed the next Secretary of State, we will see privatization of public education in this country explode, and benefit mainly Christian religious schools. 

What to do? Call your US Senator and tell him or her to vote No on DeVos on January 11.

School 'Choice' in Trumplandia

What will public education look like in the Trump/DeVos universe? More of the same.

via GIPHY

Like so many other 'reformers', DeVos will dangle the carrots of 'choice' and vouchers in front of urban parents, and public education as we know it will end—at least in the inner cities where parents have little say. She's already wreaked havoc in Detroit, a city that doesn't need one more ounce of despair. Valerie Strauss writes,

In Detroit, parents of school-age children have plenty of choices, thanks to the nation’s largest urban network of charter schools. 

What remains in short supply is quality.
... 

This deeply dysfunctional educational landscape — where failure is rewarded with opportunities for expansion and “choice” means the opposite for tens of thousands of children — is no accident. It was created by an ideological lobby that has zealously championed free-market education reform for decades, with little regard for the outcome.  

And at the center of that lobby is Betsy DeVos, the west Michigan advocate whose family has contributed millions of dollars to the cause of school choice and unregulated charter expansion throughout Michigan.

'Choice' connotes available options, but for many trapped in 'reform land', there really are none. 

When state governments deliberately underfund urban public schools to make them 'fail', how is that choice?

When charter schools cherry pick their students, how is that 'choice'?

When parents choose their public school, but it's forced to close because a charter has drained money away, how is that choice?

When the community has no say in how their school district is run, how is that choice?

"But, Marie," you say, "what about those vouchers?" 

Well, what about them? DeVos's master plan is to hand families a voucher of up to $12 thousand to send their children to their school of ‘choice’—including religious schools. If only my grandmother, who wrote my Catholic school tuition checks for 12 years, was alive to see this.

What an opportunity for students who live in high poverty/high needs neighborhoods—especially here in New Jersey! Right...? I mean, in addition to many of the finest public schools in the country, we also have some mighty fine and mighty pricey private schools. But hold on... don't go out and buy that blue blazer and khaki pants just yet. See, the funny thing about 'choice' is that it doesn't equal 'access', and that's where Betsy & Co. have those urban parents by the you-know-whats. 

Here's a list of New Jersey's top private schools and their tuition (added by me). Twelve thousand dollars won’t even cover half the tuition at most of these schools, let alone provide any guarantee of admittance—or transportation:

• The Lawrenceville School, Lawrence $47,800 - $57,800

• The Pingry School, Warren $29,000 - $35,000

• Newark Academy, Livingston $37,900

• Delbarton School, Morris $35,500

• Kent Place School, Summit $15,800 - $39,000 

• Collegiate School, Passaic $5,000 - $7,500

• Peddie School, Hightstown $43,500 - $52,600

• Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood $30,600

All of these schools provide a terrific education, and I don't begrudge for one minute parents who choose to send their children to them. But, none of them is anywhere near Camden or Asbury Park or Trenton or Long Branch or Gloucester or most of the rest of New Jersey's 31 former 'Abbott' districts that Gov. Christie has forced 'choice' on. And these schools really do have something those voucher-holding parents don't have: choice—which students to accept and which to reject. 

No, low income, urban students will have to apply (not 'choose') to attend a local charter or religious school that lacks public fiscal oversight, that may or may not accept them, and that may or may not be any better than the local public school. Suburban students also have to apply and be accepted to their private school of 'choice', but unlike urban students, the socioeconomic status of those suburban kids provides them with far more connections to 'access' like carpool pickups from the local Starbucks... or Wegmans... or Whole Foods... or... 

So much for ‘choice’.

"But parents need choice! The free market will drive competition and make education great again!", DeVos proclaims. Oy! Let's ask parents in Washington, DC, Milwaukee, Louisiana and Indiana how those vouchers have worked out. 

Competition may be good for selling cars, but not for educating children. But Betsy DeVos doesn't care about that. She isn't interested in whether all students actually get into their school of 'choice' because those with means and/or the proper skin color will always have 'access' to the best educations, and that's all that really matters in Billionaire Land anyway. 

In the meantime, those without will continue to suffer, and the profiteers will profit. But as long as the appearance of 'choice' is out there, and she can get away with forcing her religious beliefs onto one of the last bastions of a free and democratic society, all will be well. 

This is not how to ‘make America great again’.

As charter cheerleaders cheer their cure-all cheers, I repeat my mantra: 

'Choice' does not equal 'Access' 

Your tax dollars at work...

Credit: Wikipedia

How's that workin' for ya?

For more information on Betsy DeVos, follow the bloggers on the right hand side of this page. 

And please call your US Senators and urge them to vote No on her confirmation. 

75 Reasons Betsy DeVos is Wrong for Public Education

Still don't know who Betsy DeVos is or why she would be the worst Secretary of Education in this modern era? Look no further. Compiled by eduator/activist/blogger, Jonathan Pelto, the following is only a partial list of posts written by members of the Education Bloggers Network about her since Donald Trump announced her nomination.  

Granted, I'm sure you have better things to do on a Sunday afternoon than read through every single one of these, but even if you pick a few, you will find that she is about as swampy a swamp creature as an alligator—and just as dangerous. 

Unless the US Senate blocks her nomination, this pro-voucher, pro-charter, pro-religious-education-on-the-taxpayer-dime, billionaire, Washington insider who has no degree in education, no teaching experience, nor any experience working in a public K-12 environment, who never attended pubic school (nor have any of her children) will make Arne Duncan look like Fred Rogers.

I could go on, but far too many great minds have already written a boatload. So, sit back, grap a cup of coffee (or a bottle of Xanax), and browse. Then call your US Senators and demand they vote No on her nomination.

From Alan Singer

Charter School Failure (The Schools, Not The Kids)

From A View From the Edge
Redefining Our Definitions

From A View From the Edge

Educational “Entitlement” Accounts

From A View From the Edge

Our New Education Secretary, Mr$. Bet$y DeVo$

From Badass Teachers Association
The DeVostater: Public School Advocates Unite! by Dr. Michael Flanagan

From Badass Teachers Assocation

A BATS Reading List to Learn About Betsy DeVos

From Badass Teachers Association
BATs Board of Directors Statement on Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education

From Bob Braun's Ledger
These Democrats "Applaud" Trump's Billionaire Education Secretary

From Bust•ED pencils
What you should know about Betsy DeVos, Trump’s education secretary pick — and what her choice might tell us about his plans

From Curmudgucation
How Bad Is DeVos? So Bad...

From Curmudgucation
Opposing DeVos

From Curmudgucation
DeVos, the Acton Institute. and Child Labor

From Daniel Katz, Ph.D.
Secretary of Privatization

From deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's EduBlog
Why DFER’s Shavar Jeffries Must Support Ed Sec Betsy DeVos

From deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's EduBlog
Trump Ed-Sec Pick Betsy DeVos: Poised to Promote Vouchers above All Else

From Diane Ravitch

Julie Vassilatos: Betsy DeVos and the Zombie Apocalypse

From Diane Ravitch

Democracy Now! A Discussion of Betsy DeVos

From Diane Ravitch

John Thompson on the Reformers’ Dilemma: To Trump or Not to Trump

From Diane Ravitch

Campbell Brown, Reformer, Recuses Herself from Covering Her Friend, Betsy DeVos

From Diane Ravitch

Post-Election Report: Betsy DeVos’ Organization Counts Its Victories Over Public Schools

From Diane Ravitch

DeVos Fought to Keep Michigan Charters Unregulated and Unaccountable

From Diane Ravitch

In Michigan, under GOP (DeVos) Rule, Teachers’ Pensions are on the Table

From Diane Ravitch

California Charter School Association Congratulates Betsy DeVos

From Diane Ravitch

Jane Mayer: Who Is Betsy DeVos?

From Diane Ravitch

Detroit Free Press: How the DeVos Family Bought the Michigan GOP and Stiffed the Children of Detroit

From Diane Ravitch
DFER Congratulates DeVos, Enemy of Public Schools

From Diane Ravitch
In DeVos’ Michigan: Literacy is not a “Fundamental Right”

From Diane Ravitch
Betsy DeVos and Campbell Brown: Good Friends

From Diane Ravitch

Yes, Betsy DeVos Can Privatize Large Numbers of Public Schools, with the Help of Red States

From Diane Ravitch

Will Bunch: DeVos Will Be a Disaster for Philly

From Diane Ravitch

DeVos Family Values: Money, Power, and Rightwing Politics

From Diane Ravitch

ACLU of Michigan Warns About Dangers of DeVos Nomination

From Diane Ravitch

New York Times on DeVos: A Champion for Privatization of Education

From Diane Ravitch

Betsy DeVos: A Disastrous Choice for the Nation and Public Schools

From Diane Ravitch

Stephen Dyer: Betsy DeVos PAC was Fined $5.2 Million in Ohio for Violating Campaign Finance Laws

From Diane Ravitch

Mitchell Robinson: From Michigan, This is the Real Betsy DeVos

From Diane Ravitch

Washington Post: Meet Betsy DeVos

From Diane Ravitch

Trump Picks DeVos for Secretary of Education

From Ed in the Apple
Trump Nominates Betsy DeVos and Declares War on Public Education: Vouchers, Charters and School Choice on Steroids

From Ed in the Apple
Why do Trump, Pence, DeVos and Republicans Support Charter Schools, Education Vouchers, “privatizing” Social Security and Medicare/caid? What Does Supporting “Small Government” Mean? And, Will Trump Build a Statute of Ayn Rand on the Washington Mall?

From educationdc

Meet Our New Public Education Personnel: Just Like the Old Ones (Only More So)

From Edushyster
The Long Game of Betsy DeVos

From Exceptional Delaware
America Is Getting Bamboozled With Betsy Devos! She Is All In On The True Agenda: Cradle To Grave Workforces Of Tomorrow

From Fred Klonsky

Corporate reformers are phony agnostics about Trump’s choice of DeVos.

From Gary Rubinstein

TFA Makes A Statement On DeVos

From GFBrandenburg's Blog
Amway is an illegal pyramid scheme.

From GFBrandenburg's Blog
The Only Worse Possible Candidate for U.S. EdSec than Michelle Rhee was Betsy Devos. So, Devos it is.

From janresseger
Betsy DeVos Nominated as Secretary of Education

From janresseger
President-elect Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos Push Increasingly Discredited School Policy

From janresseger
Important Reading on Betsy DeVos

From Jan Resseger

DeVos Family Contributes Lavishly to Legislators Who Defeated Detroit Charter School Oversight

From Jeff Bryant

Betsy DeVos May Complete The Big Money Takeover Of Our Nation’s Schools

From Jersey Jazzman
What Can We Learn About Betsy DeVos From Her Husband's Charter School?

From Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup Nov 24: Thanksgiving Special Edition - Trump Flips the Bird at American Public Education

From Fred Klonsky
Corporate reformers are phony agnostics about Trump’s choice of DeVos.

From Live Long and Prosper
Betsy DeVos on Live Long and Prosper

From Live Long and Prosper
Amateur Hour in the Cabinet

From Mother Crusader

Betsy DeVos: Conflict of Interest Concerns Arise on Future Secretary's Twitter Account

From Mother Crusader
DeVos Removes Controversial Twitter Photo But Conflict Of Interest Concerns Continue

From Mother Crusader
Betsy DeVos: Conflict of Interest Concerns Arise on Future Secretary's Twitter Account

From Nancy Bailey's Education Website
Privatization and School Buses? Thoughts, Please, Betsy DeVos?

From Nakhil Goyal

Public schools may not survive Trump's billionaire wrecking crew

From Russ on Reading
Heavens to Betsy (DeVos)!

From School Matters
DeVos money big in Indiana politics

From The Educator's Room
Meet Betty DeVos, Our New Secretary of Education

From The Progressive
Betsy DeVos’s War on Public Schools

From Russ on Reading
Heavens to Betsy (DeVos)!

From 10th Period
Ohio's Largest Campaign Finance Violator named Trump's Education Secretary

Posts by Diane Ravitch of other blogger’s commentary pieces:

From Diane Ravitch
Nancy Flanagan: DeVos and the Hoax of Charter Schools in Michigan

From Diane Ravitch

Nikhil Goyal: Can Public Schools Survive Trump’s Billionaire Wrecking Crew?

From Diane Ravitch

Gary Rubinstein: What TFA Said about the DeVos Appointment

From Diane Ravitch

Peter Greene: Betsy DeVos and the Value of Child Labor

From Diane Ravitch

Jersey Jazzman: What Can We Learn About Betsy DeVos from Her Husband’s Charter School

From Diane Ravitch

Mother Crusader Discovers Betsy DeVos Using Product Placement to Sell Her Stuff

From Diane Ravitch

G. F. Brandenburg: The Only Worse Candidate Than Betsy DeVos Would Have Been Rhee