Hannah H. Mug
With the recent confirmation of Betsy DeVos as the Secretary of Education, the future of education is up in the air. DeVos has no qualifications to work for education, yet she was nominated and confirmed as the secretary. She was given the position because of money.
According to The Los Angeles Times, DeVos has said that “it is possible” that her family has donated 200 million dollars to various Republican politicians. It turns out that money can buy just about anything.
This evidence was a disappointment to current and future educators as well as former public school students. DeVos has no connection to the public school system; she went to private schools and sent her children to private schools. DeVos also does not have an education degree.
As a teachers college, ESU students are rightfully worried about their futures. With a Secretary of Education who favors vouchers and school choice, current and future teachers’ careers could be forever changed. Families of school aged children will be affected.
Public schools, and the teachers in them, are vital to the success of many students. I spent eight years in the public school system. I transferred to a private school after the public school system failed to meet my needs. I was lucky that I could make the switch, a lot of students don’t have that choice.
Students like me are the reason why public schools need more passionate teachers to keep their students engaged. Students need a place where they can go to learn and enjoy themselves. School choice would make that a luxury.
ESU is a public school, we receive funding from the state and the nation. It is because of education funding that millions of students can pursue an education. As ESU students, we are products of public education, like it or not.
With the new administration, we have to keep fighting to educate the youth. Whether you are an education major or not, you can help. Volunteer or donate to local schools and write to your congressional representatives or to DeVos with your opinions on how to improve education.