Welcome to the weekly “Trumptastrophe” email series. This email series will preserve the moment by reminding us of the destructive policies, decisions, and actions we encountered during the Trump Presidency, and the threat that President Trump and others in his MAGA movement continue to pose. will help you. It remains fresh in our memories as we fight to defeat Republican extremists in the next election.
This week's Trump Tastrophe takes a look at the far right's continued attempts to dismantle and privatize public education and how Trump is consolidating their efforts by choosing notorious public school critic Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. The focus is on what made it possible.
In February 2017, Vice President Mike Pence, in the face of fierce opposition, broke a deadlock in the Senate and confirmed billionaire education privatization activist Betsy DeVos to be President Trump's secretary of education. When President Trump nominated DeVos, People for the American Way called it a “new high water mark” in the right's “long war on public education.”
People4's report said DeVos, who was dubbed the “four-star general of the voucher movement,” promoted right-wing propaganda that denigrated the Democratic Party and public schools as hostile to people of faith. It pointed out. More importantly, the report found, and 60 minutes later, confirmed that the policies DeVos had championed in her home state were not working as promised for students.
Ms. DeVos and her extremely wealthy family have played a key role in building a broad and aggressive right-wing anti-public education infrastructure and are key supporters of the religious right political groups that have rallied around Mr. Trump. there were. She poured money into politics, electing members of Congress who supported vouchers for religious schools and the expansion of unaccountable charter school policies that fostered corruption and exacerbated educational inequality.
“DeVos is not afraid to use her family's deep pockets to buy politicians and policies that align with her preferences,” the People for report said. In fact, DeVos was a founding director of the James Madison Free Speech Center, whose mission is to eliminate all restrictions on money in politics.
DeVos used her term to promote the diversion of education funds to private schools. He was also notable for rescinding guidance documents that protect the rights of students with disabilities and LGBTQ students.
DeVos served as a cabinet member in the Trump administration until she resigned the day after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Sen. Elizabeth Warren responded to DeVos' resignation, calling her “the worst Secretary of Education in history,” saying, “Betsy DeVos has never done the job of helping America's students.” It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that she would rather quit her job than do her job to help invoke Article 25.'' Some public officials told Pence and other members of the Cabinet that Trump would take office as president. He urged the government to take action to revoke the authority as unfit. Inciting rebellion.
Ms. DeVos is a perfect example of the Washington saying, “Personnel is policy.'' And this is very bad news for a potential second Trump term.
- DeVos said at the 2022 Moms for Freedom rally that she believes the Department of Education should be abolished. That is essentially also the agenda of Project 2025. The MAGA movement's battle plan, as the project's right-wing organizers hope, is to “seize power” if Trump is elected president this year. Project 2025 is led by the Heritage Foundation and supported by about 100 right-wing religious, legal, and political organizations, including a think tank founded by former Trump administration officials.
- The 900-page plan calls for purging civil servants, replacing them with pre-vetted Trump supporters and promoting right-wing policies in all areas. “Project 2025 seeks to end public education as we know it,” summarized Peter Green in an analysis of the Project 2025 education proposal for the Bucks County Beacon. In fact, the plan clearly embodies the vision of the late Milton Friedman, who wanted education to be left to the free market, with states free to use federal education funds as they see fit and special There is no need to spend money on supporting students with special needs or disabilities. There is also no accountability for how funds are spent in low-income districts.
- Most of the department, including the Office of Civil Rights, will be dismissed. “The federal government should limit its involvement in education policy to being a statistical collection agency that disseminates information to states,” said Lindsey Burke, director of the Heritage Foundation's Education Policy Center. Project 2025 also calls for the passage of a national ban on education about LGBTQ people and “critical race theory” at the state level.
If Trump manages to win this year's election, religious right-wing activists will either dismantle public education by diverting those funds to religious schools, or turn public schools and universities into centers of religious indoctrination. This will be the result of a great deal of effort on his behalf. MAGA ideology with propaganda provided by the likes of Hillsdale College and PragerU. Both would be disastrous for students, schools, communities, and democracy.
These are just Several I'll explain why we need you in this fight. After reading this week's summary, find your favorite way to relax and start planning how to fight back this week, this month, and this election cycle.
