Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Classroom in a Bathroom? Overcrowded Building Problems Betsy DeVos Doesn’t Think About

Classroom in a Bathroom? Overcrowded Building Problems Betsy DeVos Doesn’t Think About

Classroom in a Bathroom? Overcrowded Building Problems Betsy DeVos Doesn’t Think About

Please tell Betsy DeVos that when Americans fail to invest in public school buildings, it affects how students learn. Betsy DeVos has never worked in poor building conditions. She doesn’t understand how difficult it is for students and teachers.
On September 20, DeVos stated in her Education Freedom speech to a parochial school audience, that taxpayers should invest in “students not buildings.” This is a strange disconnect. Of course, Americans should invest in students and in their public school buildings. School buildings need to be safe, clean, and provide an environment that is conducive to learning.
To illustrate, two days after DeVos’s speech, we learned that a student with autism had been placed in a bathroom to do his work. How could something so outrageous occur?
The principal apologized. The school was overcrowded and short of space. He said, This current situation is an example of staff trying to seek a solution to temporarily repurpose a room. To our knowledge, the room had been used as storage, not as an active restroom.
Parents and disability advocates claim the teacher could have sent the student to the library. Would the teacher have been able to supervise the student there? The parent should have been informed about school overcrowding. The parent, teacher, and CONTINUE READING: Classroom in a Bathroom? Overcrowded Building Problems Betsy DeVos Doesn’t Think About