A Washington Educator's Feedback and Questions for Secretary of Education Nominee Betsy DeVos through US Senator Patty Murray

Thank you for the invitation to share my thoughts with Senator Murray for Ms. DeVos.

As a point of reference, this is my 26^th year as a public school administrator/teacher. I have served students in Washington, Oregon and Nevada. I have served as a music teacher, Middle School Assistant Principal, High School Assistant Principal, Director of Alternative School, High School Principal, Director of Educational Non-Profit, Assistant State Superintendent (supporting WA under-performing schools—285 schools holding 250,000 kids) and currently Superintendent in the Lyle School District. I have six children. 2 have graduated from public schools and 4 are still enrolled in WA public schools. I have served as a Union President for school administrators in Nevada and am currently the President Elect for the Washington Association of School Administrators for ESD 112.

Thoughts on Ms. DeVos:

There are a myriad of data points about her absolute lack of qualifications to serve as our nation's Secretary of Education—supporting the 51 million K-12 students enrolled in our public schools. (It is awe-striking for me to consider the fiscal impact of succeeding or failing with those 51 million kids. HS dropouts earn less money, pay fewer taxes and are incarcerated at a significantly higher rate than HS graduates. One simple statistic is that by raising our national graduation rate of boys by 5% it is estimated that we could save 18.5 billion annually by reducing the more than double cost to incarcerate compared to educate. (Of course these students are disproportionately minority and poor)

Lack of Qualifications:

o   There is no evidence that Ms. DeVos efforts, intervention, fiscal investment, etc. have made a difference in the outcomes of children in Detroit, Michigan, or elsewhere

o   Ms. DeVos has never attended a public school or university

o   The DeVos children didn’t attend public schools

o   Ms. DeVos has never been a teacher or school administrator

o   Ms. DeVos doesn’t have an education degree and has never formally studied education or the research around education, pedagogy, etc

o   Ms. DeVos has a fundamental misunderstanding of the separation of church/state

o   Ms. DeVos has repeatedly made statements indicating that she doesn’t believe that ALL kids really can succeed. Statements about “special needs” kids and second language students who she believes cannot engage in “regular” education and/or achieve at the same levels as students who aren’t special needs/second language smack against the very efforts, heart and core of educators who are working to serve these students every day

Perhaps more important than her absolute lack of qualifications (other than donating a tremendous amount of money to the GOP) is her fundamental misunderstanding about the difference between choice and quality outcomes and the separation between church and state.

Ms. DeVos’ efforts to support charters and private schools in Detroit have produced student performance outcomes less than the state average in nearly every charter school. Choice does NOT equal quality.

Ms. DeVos consistent work to provide a vehicle to funnel dollars away from our public schools and provide either charters or a pathway to funding private schools, if successful at the national level, would cloud the separation between church/state and further diminish the resources for students who attend public schools. This is a critical issue because neither private nor charter schools are compelled to take ALL students nor are they held to the same performance standards that public schools are held. Another significant consideration to this point is the sheer number of students who live in rural or rural/remote districts, nationally. The whole private/charter vs. public school debate is relatively inconsequential for many of our students who are place bound in communities that will ONLY, EVER have a public community school as their choice, regardless of national policy. Therefore, creating national policy that honors the urban core inadvertently punishes our kids in rural/remote communities who will only experience the net loss of dollars being siphoned away from public schools without any additional choice. (These students are disproportionately minority and poor)

In terms of questions that I would like to ask Ms. DeVos in her confirmation hearing:

1.      What makes you qualified to serve as the Secretary for the US Department of Education?

2.      How do we provide choice and also ensure an equality in outcome for the children in our nation? (performance metrics)

3.      Is it appropriate to provide taxpayer dollars to private and/or charter schools when; they can accept or reject students (aren’t compelled to admit all who enroll), their teachers aren’t required to meet the same licensure requirements, and they aren’t held to the same performance outcome standards as their public school counterparts?

4.      How will you work as Secretary to ensure that there is an ample voice within your organization of teachers/principals and superintendents who are actually in our nation’s schools and doing the work?

5.      How will you define success of the US Dept. of Education under your leadership; 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 4 years?

6.      What is your plan to increase the national HS graduation rate?

7.      What is your plan to increase access to early childhood education to ensure that ALL kids enter kindergarten ready?

8.      How will you collaborate with state educational leaders/superintendents to honor local control with national guidance?

I suspect this is way too much, but hope it helps Senator Murray to understand the real concerns from many educators working in Washington---on behalf of our 1.1 million students!