Support public education
In the commentary, “DeVos doubles down on reforms,” Cal Thomas describes all the supposedly good projects Betsy DeVos has inflicted on public education.
DeVos’ job is to help students, 90 percent of whom attend public schools.
She has failed miserably and seeks to dismantle public education.
As described in The Guardian (Dec. 27) she promotes privatization of public schools through vouchers, promoting deep cuts to funding while rolling back protections for vulnerable children.
DeVos has never been a teacher or a school administrator, nor has she ever attended public schools.
She is out of her league when it comes to knowing what is best for public education.
DeVos has proposed deep cuts to education, hitting class size reductions, after-school programs, and student loan forgiveness.
She has even rescinded sexual assault guidelines for public schools and eliminated funding for the Special Olympics.
In Time magazine Feb. 17, Diane Ravitch discusses how many charter schools dominate their state’s list of the lowest performing schools.
Ravitch states that we improve schools by recognizing that poverty and affluence are the key determinants of student success.
We address the impact of poverty by making sure children have access to nutritious meals.
We must fully fund students with disabilities and triple the funding for schools for low-income districts.
Teachers must be paid as the professionals they are and class sizes reduced so children can get the individualized help they need.
Start rebuilding the respect and trust teachers deserve.
Sherry Schaaf
Forks