Teacher says Trump and DeVos are “using the crisis to advance their dangerous education agenda” 

MICHIGAN — As students across the country prepare to graduate, DNC Chair Tom Perez joined Southfield, Michigan Mayor Ken Siver and Grand Rapids teacher Wendy Winston to discuss how Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ failed coronavirus response is hurting Michigan’s students, teachers and public schools.

Over the course of his administration, Trump and Devos have repeatedly broken their promise to protect public education by threatening billions in cuts to public schools —  and during the coronavirus, they’ve continued their attacks on public education and students by siphoning millions in taxpayer dollars meant for coronavirus relief to fund DeVos’ radical war on public schools. In Michigan, this failure has led Republican leaders in the state to suggest up to 25 percent in cuts to Michigan schools because of coronavirus costs. 

DNC Chair Tom Perez: “We need an education secretary that actually believes in public education, and Betsy DeVos has undermined public education. Time and again, the mismanagement at the top of the Department of Education has punished students. Recently, student loan borrowers were forced to file a lawsuit against DeVos over her department’s failure to stop garnishing wages for defaulted loans during the crisis. It’s the federal government that needs to lead on a pandemic, and when you have abject failure of the president of the United States in January and February to take this crisis seriously….he did not deal with it.”

Southfield Mayor Ken Siver: “[Secretary DeVos] is interested in dismantling public schools and siphoning money off for business operators that are operating schools … The priorities are all, all wrong, and we need to get this country back on track. It needs to be about supporting infrastructure, supporting people, supporting education and not these phony issues.”

Grand Rapids Teacher Wendy Winston: “I teach algebra in Grand Rapids Public Schools… I spend a lot of my energy advocating for students, educators, and for a strong public education system.  So, even before the current coronavirus crisis, I have watched as Trump and DeVos have enacted policies that undermine public schools, and now they’re using the crisis to advance their damaging education agenda, and our students, educators and their parents are paying the price.”