DeVos tells big-city school superintendents she believes in ‘great public schools’ — but some remain skeptical
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told urban school superintendents on Monday that her agency intends to support their work and that “great public schools” should be among the education options available to families.
“I trust parents, I trust teachers, and I trust school leaders to do what is right for the students they serve,” she said, emphasizing her push to shrink the federal government’s role in local schools. “When Washington gets out of your way, you should be able to unleash new and creative thinking to set children up for success.”
It was a conciliatory message from an education secretary who has spent nearly three decades promoting vouchers, charter schools and other alternatives to traditional public schools. But it did not quell all the skepticism in the room at the annual legislative conference of the Council of the Great City Schools, a coalition of 68 big-city school systems.
“I think we heard the kind of philosophical statements that everyone can support,” said Allegra “Happy” Haynes, a Denver school board member. “They were a little short on details.”
Haynes said DeVos’s affinity for cutting red tape doesn’t always mesh with her desire to empower parents. For example: President Barack Obama’s administration wrote regulations requiring states to consult with parents and community members in developing plans for holding schools accountable for results. But Congress scrapped those regulations last week, and DeVos made clear that though states may ask parents for input if they wish, federal law DeVos tells big-city school superintendents she believes in ‘great public schools’ — but some remain skeptical - The Washington Post:
