Black congresswoman visibly annoyed as Betsy DeVos struggles to answer basic civil rights questions

Black congresswoman visibly annoyed as Betsy DeVos struggles to answer basic civil rights questions:

Black congresswoman visibly annoyed as Betsy DeVos struggles to answer basic civil rights questions

A black congresswoman appeared visibly annoyed as she questioned Education Secretary Betsy DeVos about the DOE’s civil rights policies and was met with responses suggesting the secretary is uninformed on the rights of students.

“I am concerned about the low performance of your civil rights office” Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH) noted during DeVos’ Tuesday hearing. “Could you please just state for me the mission of your civil rights office?”

“The office for civil rights is committed to protecting the civil rights as determined under the law of this land,” the education secretary responded, “and we do so proudly and with great focus each day.”

“That’s not the mission statement,” the Ohio congresswoman said. “Do you know what it is?”

DeVos said she had “not memorized” the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights mission statement, to which Fudge shook her hand and said “that’s ok,” appearing exasperated. She asked the secretary to explain her understanding of “vigorous enforcement” of civil rights in schools.

“It would be following the law and enforcing the law as stated,” DeVos responded, to which Fudge simply sighed and said “OK.”

Fudge asked the education secretary if the OCE was enforcing laws put in place with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. When DeVos responded “yes, indeed,” the congresswoman pressed on — but the education secretary’s only response is that she is “confident” about it.

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 Black congresswoman visibly annoyed as Betsy DeVos struggles to answer basic civil rights questions:

School Spending Per Pupil Increased by 3.2 Percent

School Spending Per Pupil Increased by 3.2 Percent:

School Spending Per Pupil Increased by 3.2 Percent, U.S. Census Bureau Reports

[Source: U.S. Census Bureau]

May 21, 2018 — The amount spent per pupil for public elementary-secondary education for all 50 states and the District of Columbia increased by 3.2 percent to $11,762 during the 2016 fiscal year, according to new tables released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The increase in spending in 2016 was due in part to the increase in revenue across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In 2016, public elementary-secondary education revenue, from all sources, amounted to $670.9 billion, up 4.6 percent from the prior year. This is the largest increase since 2007.

Other highlights include:

• Of the 50 states, New York ($22,366), the District of Columbia ($19,159), Connecticut ($18,958), New Jersey ($18,402) and Vermont ($17,873) spent the most per pupil in 2016. California (9.8 percent), Washington (7.4 percent), Hawaii (7.0 percent), Utah (5.8 percent) and New York (5.5 percent) saw the largest percentage increases in current spending per pupil from 2015 to 2016. To see the top 10 school districts by current spending per pupil, see the graphic Top 10 Largest School Districts by Per Pupil Current Spending.
• Within public school systems, Mississippi (14.6 percent), Arizona (13.8 percent), South Dakota (13.5 percent), New Mexico (13.5 percent) and Montana (12.4 percent) received the highest percentage of their revenues from the federal government, while public school systems in New Jersey (4.1 percent), Connecticut (4.2 percent), Massachusetts (4.4 percent), New York (5.1 percent) and Minnesota (5.3 percent) received the lowest.

These statistics come from the 2016 Annual Survey of School System Finances. Education finance data include revenues, expenditures, debt and assets (cash and security holdings) of elementary-secondary (prekindergarten through 12th grade) public school systems. Statistics cover school systems in all states and include the District of Columbia.

No news release associated with this product. Tip sheet only.

School Spending Per Pupil Increased by 3.2 Percent: