Forging On the Education Issues They Ignore

We heard a lot from the GOP President last night. He touted his billionaire tax handout and isolationist immigration policies.
But you know what he didn’t discuss? He failed to lay out a plan how his education department, helmed by the extremely unqualified Betsy DeVos, would provide opportunities for all students to succeed.
How students—one of our nation’s greatest resources—were not mentioned in the State of the Union is beyond me.
Right now, we are letting Betsy DeVos and the Trump Administration know exactly how they’ve failed our students. Send a report card to Betsy DeVos and let her know she’s failed to make the grade in her first year in office (greatpublicschools.nea.org).
Instead of increasing funding to make sure students have the resources they need to succeed, they want cuts to federal education programs totaling nearly $10 billion.
They’ve proposed eliminating teacher training programs, college prep courses for students in need, and public-service loan forgiveness.
No, instead of making sure our students have the resources they need, they want to take funding from public schools and hand over it over to unaccountable religious and private schools in the form of vouchers.
But more than that, the example they set for our students is one of divisiveness and hate. One where wealth, privilege, and connections are to be rewarded.
They’ve failed to chart a bold vision for helping public school students succeed. Now, we need to let them know just exactly how they’ve failed our students.
As a teacher, I believe in constructive criticism. Without it, how can we improve?
Helping all students succeed should be the top priority of every administration. Let’s make sure Betsy DeVos gets the message that we expect more from our nation’s top student advocate.

Lily Eskelsen García is President of the National Education Association.

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