President-elect Donald Trump's choice for Department of Education secretary, Betsy DeVos, is a known advocate for school choice, opportunity and competition. But there are concerns about the pick that's making parents nervous for their children.
It is believed that once Betsy DeVos takes over the post when the term becomes official in January, she is going to apply a market-based approach to school systems. Schools under her governance would be regarded as business enterprises, which shall provide for choice, opportunity and competition, and the students and their parents are the consumers.
"She's a big believer in vouchers," according to Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers, via NPR. Public funds used to pay for a child's private and religious school education through vouchers became the trend in the '90s and this has always been a hot topic for debate and disagreements. Despite studies that say voucher programs and school choice have not improved the quality of education in America, the incoming Education secretary remains a strong advocate.
For Betsy DeVos, American families should be given the choice to choose that schools they must send their kids in the spirit of free markets. The problem, however, is that most parents aren't good at making these choices and it contributes to the poor results delivered by students.
Another problem with free markets and charter schools is the lack of school regulation in this system. Her critics point to the situation in Michigan, where the DeVos family are big donors of charter schools. According to Ed Excellence, this state's charter school system is managed like the "Wild West" as there are no checks and balances; there is no oversight.
Schools continue to exist and accept students even if their performances have been failures. As a result, Michigan has one of the lowest performing scores in assessment tests. Its students are falling behind other states, according to Ed Trust.
