Why DFER’s Shavar Jeffries Must Support Ed Sec Betsy DeVos
On November 17, 2016, the corporate reform pseudo-Democratic organization, Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) President Shavar Jeffries released a statement strongly discouraging any Democrat from accepting the position of US secretary of education under President-elect Donald Trump, purportedly because ed reform is a progressive idea and Trump is not progressive, as Jeffries notes in the following DFER-posted excerpt:
“The policies and rhetoric of President-elect Trump run contrary to the most fundamental values of what it means to be a progressive committed to educating our kids and strengthening our families and communities. He proposes to eliminate accountability standards, cut Title I funding, and to gut support for vital social services that maximize our students’ ability to reach their potential. And, most pernicious, Trump gives both tacit and express endorsement to a dangerous set of racial, ethnic, religious, and gender stereotypes that assault the basic dignity of our children, causing incalculable harm not only to their sense of self, but also to their sense of belonging as accepted members of school communities and neighborhoods.“For these reasons, no Democrat should accept appointment as Secretary of Education, unless and until President-elect Trump disavows his prior statements and commits to educating the whole child and supporting the communities and families they depend on.”
On November 23, 2016, Trump selected Michigan billionaire and Republican charter and voucher pusher, Betsy DeVos, as his nominee for ed secretary. That same day, DFER’s Jeffries released the following statement congratulating DeVos on her nomination:
Trump First Offered Jerry Falwell, Jr., US Secretary of Ed Job | deutsch29 - http://wp.me/p36Q2R-29r“DFER congratulates Betsy DeVos on her appointment as Secretary of Education, and we applaud Mrs. DeVos’s commitment to growing the number of high-quality public charter schools.“However, DFER remains deeply concerned by much of the President-elect’s education agenda, which proposes to cut money from Title I and to eliminate the federal role on accountability. These moves would undermine progress made under the Obama administration to ensure all children have access toWhy DFER’s Shavar Jeffries Must Support Ed Sec Betsy DeVos | deutsch29: