This week at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos began her speech with a joke about how she was the first person to tell Bernie Sanders, “there’s no such thing as free lunch.” Good thing it’s the Department of Agriculture that runs the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.
She then went on to criticize the Obama administration for wasting $7 billion on school improvement grants, adding, “They tested their model, and it failed … miserably.” Never once did she mention what the best school systems in the world are doing right.
“But even as school choice is poised to go national, a wave of new research has emerged suggesting that private school vouchers may harm students who receive them. The results are startling — the worst in the history of the field, researchers say.” [ Ссылка ]
One study, conducted by the conservative-leaning Fordham Institute, concluded, “The students who use vouchers to attend private schools have fared worse academically compared to their closely matched peers attending public schools.”
Nevertheless, facts-be-damned House Republicans are pushing forward with their plan to force states into adopting a voucher system or lose federal aid.
In its current form, H.R. 610 would also, “repeal a certain rule relating to nutrition standards in schools.” [ Ссылка ]
Because that’s what’s wrong with the education system today. The 20 million poor children who rely on school lunches for their one, nutritious meal of the day are just eating too healthily.
But House Republicans aren’t finished yet. H.R. 899 reads, in its entirety, “The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2018.”
“Spoiler alert: The Education Department is unlikely to be eliminated, particularly by a bill that declines to specify who or what would take over its $68 billion annual budget and the functions of data collection, oversight, civil rights enforcement and student aid, among others." [ Ссылка ]
So there you have it: A billionaire heiress — whose family bought her a Cabinet position — mocking programs designed to help the poor; and a wingnut Congress, hellbent on destroying the one, remaining institution that could possibly end generational poverty.
These are strange times we’re living in.
