Betsy DeVos, who served as Education Secretary under Trump, recently said that the Department of Education should not exist and even called for its abolishment.
She made the remarks while addressing the group ‘Moms for Liberty.’ People on the left are clutching their pearls.
The Hill reports:
Trump Education secretary says ‘Department of Education should not exist’Former Secretary of Education Betsy Devos believes that the department she once led should be abolished.Devos, who spent four years as the Education secretary during the Trump administration, made the remarks at the inaugural Moms for Liberty summit on Saturday, according to the Florida Phoenix.“I personally think the Department of Education should not exist,” Devos told the mostly conservative crowd in Tampa, Fla.Devos was a leading proponent of “education freedom” during her time in office, promoting vouchers to allow families to choose their children’s school.In a speech in 2020, she said, “I fight against anyone who would have government be the parent to everyone.”Moms for Liberty is a conservative group that rose to national prominence for its objection to children wearing face masks at school during the COVID-19 pandemic.The local news outlet also reported that summit attendees were given tips on how to recruit, promote and endorse conservative school board candidates.
After the last couple of years, there are probably thousands of Americans who now feel the same way about the Department of Education.
FOX News points out that this is what made DeVos a frequent target of the left:
Throughout her time in the Trump administration, DeVos was a frequent target of teacher unions and Democrats because of her advocacy for school choice and vouchers. The former education secretary recently called the Biden administration’s new parents council a “laughable” attempt to fix “a very glaring issue” in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.”Parents across the country are upset for a variety of reasons with how the system has handled the last two years. And they remain upset and they… want to have control of their children’s education,” she said.
This is not a new conservative position. President Ronald Reagan advocated for disbanding the department. Since then, others have picked up the idea.
Patrick Carroll wrote at the Foundation for Economic Education back in April:
Reagan’s Goal to End the Department of Education Is Finally Gaining MomentumThe debate over the federal role in education has been going on for decades. Some say the feds should have a relatively large role while others say it should be relatively small. But while most people believe there should be at least some federal oversight, some believe there should be none at all.Rep. Thomas Massie is one of those who believes there should be no federal involvement in education, and he is actively working to make that a reality. In February 2021, he introduced H.R. 899, a bill that perfectly encapsulates his views on this issue. It consists of one sentence:“This bill terminates the Department of Education on December 31, 2022.”This position may seem radical, but Massie is not alone. The bill had 8 cosponsors when it was introduced and has been gaining support ever since. On Monday, Massie announced that Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) decided to cosponsor the bill, bringing the total number of cosponsors to 18.Though it may be tempting to think Massie and his supporters just don’t care about education, this is certainly not the case. If anything, they are pushing to end the federal Department of Education precisely because they care about educational outcomes. In their view, the Department is at best not helping and, at worst, may actually be part of the problem.”Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. should not be in charge of our children’s intellectual and moral development,” said Massie when he initially introduced the bill. “States and local communities are best positioned to shape curricula that meet the needs of their students.”Massie is echoing sentiments expressed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, who advocated dismantling the Department of Education even though it had just begun operating in 1980.
Parents in local communities should decide what’s best for their children and their schools, not federal bureaucrats and unions.
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