“‘Yes,
absolutely,’ DeVos replied when asked if she was trying to ‘utilize’ the crisis
to help ‘faith-based schools’
“Secretary of
Education Betsy DeVos admitted that she was trying to use the ongoing
coronavirus crisis to push through her private school choice agenda during
a Tuesday radio interview. DeVos made the comments during an interview with Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the
archbishop of New York, on his Sirius XM show. The interview was first flagged
by the nonprofit education news outlet Chalkbeat.
“Dolan asked
the secretary whether she was trying to ‘utilize this particular crisis to
ensure that justice is finally done to our kids and the parents who choose to
send them to faith-based schools. Am I correct in understanding what your
agenda is?’ he asked.
“‘Yes,
absolutely,’ DeVos replied. ‘For more than three decades, that has been
something that I've been passionate about. This whole pandemic has brought into
clear focus that everyone has been impacted, and we shouldn't be thinking about
students that are in public schools versus private schools.’
“Department
of Education spokeswoman Angela Morabito said in a statement to Chalkbeat that
DeVos ‘is helping Catholic schools just as she is helping all schools; this
does not mean she is favoring any one type of school over another. There is no
question that this crisis has impacted all students — no matter what
kind of school they're enrolled in,’ she added.
“DeVos'
comments came as she defended her decision to redirect coronavirus relief funds away
from public schools with high numbers of impoverished students to private
schools which tend to serve wealthy students. Congress allocated about
$13.5 billion to help schools, most of which was intended to go to schools
based on a formula that determines how many poor children they serve.
“The formula
has long allocated some of the funding for poor children who attend private
schools, The Washington Post reported. But
DeVos said states should calculate how many total students private schools
serve rather than just the number of poor students. As a result, millions in
aid will be redirected away from schools with high poverty rates to private
schools which may not have many poor students.
“The move
drew criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. ‘My sense was that
the money should have been distributed in the same way we distribute Title I
money,’ Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the chairman of the Senate Education
Committee who is typically a DeVos ally, told reporters Wednesday. ‘I think that's
what most of Congress was expecting.’
“Democrats
also decried the decision. ‘[The guidance] seeks to repurpose
hundreds-of-millions of taxpayer dollars intended for public school students to
provide services for private school students, in contravention of both the
plain reading of the statute and the intent of Congress,’ House Education
Chairman Bobby Scott, D-Va., House Education Appropriations Subcommittee
Chairwoman Rosa DeLaura, D-Ct., and Senate Education ranking member Patty
Murray, D-Washington, said in a letter to DeVos on Tuesday.
“‘Given that
the guidance contradicts the clear requirements of the CARES Act, it will cause
confusion among states and local education agencies that will be uncertain of
how to comply with both the department's guidance and the plain language of the
CARES Act,’ the lawmakers urged, asking her to ‘immediately revise’ the
guidance.
“But DeVos
defended the decision Thursday to reporters. ‘It's our interpretation that [the
funding] is meant literally for all students, and that includes students no
matter where they're learning,’ she said.
“The
Democrats' warning has proven right, however, as states are already dealing
with confusion sparked by the policy. The Education Law Center said DeVos'
policy was a ‘patent misreading’ of the federal law and
could redirect $800,000 in aid from Newark Public Schools in New Jersey to
private school students. Tennessee's education chief said she plans to follow DeVos'
guidance, but other school leaders argue that it is not legally binding and
should be ignored.
“Indiana's
schools chief Jennifer McCormick said that the state would ignore the guidance after
consulting with the state's attorney general. ‘I will not play political agenda
games with relief funds,’ she said. Scott told NPR that ‘there is rightfully
pushback’ on the decision. ‘The actions of the Department of Education have
left states and districts stuck between compliance with the law,’ he said, ‘and
adhering to ideologically motivated guidance.’” (Salon).
Igor
Derysh is a staff writer at Salon. His work has also appeared in the Los
Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Herald and Baltimore Sun. Email:
iderysh@salon.com Twitter: @IgorDerysh
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