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Betsy DeVos: Good for America’s Education System?


Betsy Devos

Betsy DeVos was recently appointed on February 7 as the new Secretary of Education and people are questioning her plans and credibility

Betsy DeVos is a Republican billionaire business woman with minimal amounts of experience dealing with education. According to Snopes, President Trump’s elect for Secretary of Education has no degree in education nor teaching experience and has never been to or sent her children to a public school. What’s made DeVos a controversial topic is her goals to privatize public education and push to create programs and pass laws that make it possible to use vouchers and public funds in order to pay for the tuition of private schools. She also plans to move 20 billion dollars out of public schools, schools which allow students of low income families community to have equal chances at an education. Public schools also guarantee students in the LGBTQ+ community education as well, whereas the chances of that are frighteningly slim in private schools.

Not only that, but there is evidence of DeVos wanting Christian education to filter into the school system, a choice people may view as either good or bad. When asked in an interview for The Gathering in 2001 whether she wanted to get rid of public education and replace them with private education, she responds, “Our desire is to confront the culture in ways that will continue to advance God's kingdom." While she doesn’t say she wants to remove public education, she wishes to inject the competition of private schools and claims that churches are displaced as the center of communities by public schools. Critics fear that DeVos’ goal will shift public funding from traditional public schools to religious and private schools. Other than dealing with public education, DeVos looks to change a few things that occurred during the Obama administration, including possibly creating a law that will greatly affect people with student loans.

While there is no definite answer to the debate of private vs. public schools and which is better, our educational system could not function without the different qualities of each type of school. The unique qualities from a variety of school types allows a student to find one that is right for them and allows them to prosper. Here is a short, composed list of the various qualities private and public schools have to offer:

Pros and Cons of Private Education

Pros:

  • Smaller classes and lower staff-to-student ratios-deeper connections and relations with scholars and teachers and higher control and observation

  • More academically homogeneous (in other words, everyone’s on the same level)

  • Flexible curriculum *

Cons:

  • Tuition fees

  • Teachers don’t have to be necessarily certified

  • Less diversity (selective student groups)

  • May not provide special education services

*Flexible curriculum may also be a disadvantage since independence may not meet state standards required by public schools

Pros and Cons of Public Education

Pros:

  • Diversity

  • Free tuition

  • Special Education Programs

  • Guaranteed certified teachers or teachers working for certification

  • Location-Friendly

  • Provides services to students (transportation, reduced pricing for lunch, academic assistance)

Cons:

  • Larger classes

  • Not much flexibility in curriculum

  • Limited fundings

However, for public schools to be nationally replaced by private schools has its downfalls. In every state, which had established a public system, every child has the right to a free education and no child will be denied equal access to schooling. To remove this from them, it would be considered unconstitutional since it is protected by the 14th amendment (which states that the privileges and protection of a citizen could not be deprived.).

To replace the democratic public school system with a voucher program raises several problems. Voucher schools, being considered as private schools, can operate by their own rules, sidestep constitutional protections, are not required to provide special education services, and ignore state requirements and laws, such as the prohibition of the discrimination against students by their sexual orientation or parental status. These voucher schools can apply for state funding that will pay for the tuition for some or all of their student body, but forcing the public to pay for religious, private schools that could teach church values that are at odds or opposing with the common public norms-for example, that homosexuality is a sin.

People interpret these things in different ways, but they are the very reason as to why Betsy DeVos has become such a controversial topic in the public today. If her wishes come true, they could possibly affect diversity within schools, low income students, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community and the democracy of our country supported by public education.

References:

School Choice International (2016) Private vs. Public School. Retrieved from http://www.schoolchoiceintl.com/private-vs-public-school/

Niche (2017 January 26) Private School vs. Public School Breakdown. Retrieved from https://articles.niche.com/private-school-vs-public-school-breakdown/


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