Hope + Outrage

While Betsy Was Trying to Throw the Special Olympics Away, Democrats Were Busy Attacking School Choice

Posted Mar. 29, 2019 in Better Conversation

Tanesha Peeples is the former Deputy Director of Outreach for Education Post. Her mission is to use her education, passion and experience to empower marginalized populations. Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, she is a Chicago Public Schools alumna and proud Englewoodian. Check out her blogging about “Hope and Outrage.” Full profile →

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I’m on a mission to call everybody out who’s not working in the best interest of kids, all 2019.

On this week’s list is Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the Democrats. Strange bedfellows but bedfellows nonetheless, neither of them want to see marginalized students succeed.

Maybe you should support school choice — But that would go against the victim mentality that Democrats rely on to obtain votes… especially by People of Color.
.#BLEXIT #JustWalkAway #DemocratsAreDestroyingAmerica

— United We Fall ✝️ (@JAMMO_1) March 19, 2019

And while no one has explicitly said they don’t want students to succeed, their politics and policies are doing all the talking.

Let’s start with Betsy DeVos.

This week’s congressional hearings on the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed budget for 2020 was a hot mess and Betsy got dragged!

Democrats slammed Education Sec. Betsy DeVos for proposing to cut funds from the Special Olympics, after-school programs and support for students from low-income families.

“Shame on you,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro said yesterday to DeVos. https://t.co/4g3u1YNBYm pic.twitter.com/hdUbVMVDOF

— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) March 27, 2019

At this point, I can’t tell if Betsy DeVos really is completely oblivious to the state of affairs when it comes to racism and bias in America’s education system. Or if she does know the deal but plays the role of being Trump’s faithful but clueless messenger very well.

I think we can all agree that @BetsyDeVosED has been a disaster as the U.S Secretary of Education.

But, just how bad?

This bad 👇🏽 https://t.co/RMbMTUwYgK

(and she also cut funding for the #SpecialOlympics! 😡 ) #BetsyFailed

— Lily Eskelsen García (@Lily_NEA) March 27, 2019

But what I do know is, the Department of Education is trying to tell us something—can y’all hear it? They’re saying, “We don’t care about educating students of color or those with disabilities.” Especially when they skim money from education funding to allow a 15.6 percent salary increase for U.S. Department of Education executives.

.@BetsyDeVosED‘s 2020 Education Budget has a 12% agency cut to the department, yet she has a 15.6% increase in executive salaries.🤔

I asked her how she could justify it and I still wasn’t given a straight answer. WATCH HERE 📺 pic.twitter.com/D4ldvunIS0

— Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) March 26, 2019

For example, in 2018, the Trump administration proposed $200 million in cuts to grants and work study programs that help low-income students better afford college.

Education Trust recently conducted a study called Broken Mirrors where they found that Black enrollment at technical, community and four-year institutions did not reflect the state’s racial composition, particularly in Arkansas.

56.4% of White students in Arkansas graduate from college in 6 years, yet for Black students, the #gradrate is only 18.9%. https://t.co/RHDykCzfYZ #EdWatch #EdWatchAR pic.twitter.com/hUO3TWCYdb

— The Education Trust (@EdTrust) March 26, 2019

Not only am I willing to bet that funding cuts have something to do with Education Trust’s findings but these budget cuts say that this administration isn’t supportive of maintaining systems that support marginalized students in higher education.

The message was loud and clear when they eliminated civil rights protections for students of color who suffer from disproportionate disciplinary actions.

.@RepBarbaraLee scorched Betsy DeVos for rescinding civil rights protections while still claiming students of color are treated equally pic.twitter.com/0hORSXaiXn

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) March 27, 2019

And then again with this new proposal to defund the Special Olympics.

Betsy DeVos cutting 18 million dollars from Special Olympics will affect 272,000 students. Taking away funding for a program that provides opportunities for people of all ability levels is horrible and should not be tolerated. #VoteThemOut2020 #choosetoinclude pic.twitter.com/wJK70l7lP3

— bekka hitz (@bekkahitz) March 27, 2019

It’s Not Just Betsy, Democrats Are Part of the Problem, Too

But we can’t keep shaming Betsy without shaking our finger at the Democrats, too. Because while Betsy was trying to throw the Special Olympics away, they were busy with their usual attack on charter schools.

DeLauro, in closing, hitting on a number of points, including charter schools: “Far too often, what we see is charter siphoning dollars away from public schools. They are operated privately. They do lack transparency.”

— Lauren S. Camera (@laurenonthehill) March 26, 2019

Honestly, they’re just as problematic as the unions that fund them, anti-choice folks and other special interests groups that push agendas against school choice despite what their constituents say they want and need.

School choice is absolutely critical for all kids, including black kids.

Graduation rates are higher & kids perform better in college.

The reason we don’t have more school choice is because democrats — paid off by teachers unions — won’t allow it.

Their policies harm America. https://t.co/tafoaLMWfD

— Adrian Norman (@AdrianNormanDC) November 22, 2018

This really makes them no different from Trump and Betsy trying to eliminate discipline protections special programs and grants—it all hurts underserved communities. So they need to stop claiming to be the people’s party when they’re slow to solve the people’s problems in education and against supporting their solutions.

That’s why I can appreciate politicians who are brave enough to challenge the status quo. Like, I have to give Sen. Cory Booker props for advocating for school choice regardless of what his party says.

Cory Booker’s career serves as a reminder that school choice is the civil rights issue many Democrats ignore.

My latest for @thehill https://t.co/pChr4g866Q

— Christian Barnard (@CBarnard33) March 2, 2019

Shavar Jeffries, president of Democrats for Education Reform, dismisses the notion that being an education reform supporter automatically makes you a supporter of the Trump administration. Fake news.

“On almost every level, this Administration for education has been very bad for young people.” – National President ⁦@shavarjeffries⁩ speaking on college admissions, education inequality, and looking ahead to 2020 pic.twitter.com/wCFqF2digV

— DFER (@DFER_News) March 22, 2019

And former U.S. Secretary of Education, John B. King, whose message is always one of unity and collaboration in improving outcomes for students.

This isn’t a conversation about politics. I’m not greenlighting Betsy’s budget proposal nor am I saying that the Democrats are wrong for questioning oversight, funding and accountability. I’m just wondering when they’ll move past politics and actually come up with solutions that work for all students and families.

Because parents don’t care about political affiliations when it comes to securing a quality education for their child. And kids don’t want to hear about identity politics when their schools are underfunded, they’re being unfairly suspended because of the color of their skin and they can’t afford to go to college.

All they care about is having their needs represented and met by the people they put in public office.