DeVos Doesn’t Want Educated Citizenry

Before I begin I will make one thing clear; it is my belief that corruption and politics go together like senators and sex scandals. Further, I do not think that monetary (or other) influence(s) is unique to one party or the other. If political sell outs were baby names nearly every elected official could be called “Aiden”, “Kayden” or “Brayden”.

            Which brings me to the elected official that this piece will highlight; Betsy DeVos.

by AntarcticSpring on DeviantArt

               No wait a second...

 That's better, or at least more accurate.

            The Secretary of Education has over thirty years of teaching experience and has been known throughout her career as a champion of the disenfranchised. She has built her altruistic legacy through her work with non-profit education foundations. In addition, she has given most of her meager earnings to those within our country that are most in need.

            No wait scratch all that, our current Sec of Ed has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Political Science (Emery, 2017). Her own children never attended public schools (Emery, 2017). DeVos is also a bona fide billionaire. However, rest assured she does contribute philanthropically, and although it is hard to pin down, it seems she and her husband Dick are particularly fond of supporting Christian education (Emery, 2017). Finally, she is a proponent of what DeVos herself labels as “school choice” – going as far as saying that the federal government has a monopoly-like grip on education (Weller, 2018). She also has taken steps to eliminate student loan forgiveness. Not coincidentally, she holds an interest in a debt collection agency that focuses on repayment of past due student loans.

            There are of course, concerns with all of these things. Although, what bothers folks (but doesn’t surprise them) is what she’s done since being in office.

            DeVos, someone with little experience in public education, but seemingly at least some business experience continues to support an educational for-profit business model that yields little in the way of results. Many sources have shown that the charter schools that DeVos is so fond of fall behind statistically when it comes to their main goal, educating the nation’s youth. In fact, some studies have indicated that some of these charter schools have amassed a sad graduation rate of only 48% (Hefling, 2017). Further, many of these schools have been labeled as a contemporary form of segregation, reporting that 70% of African-American students attend schools that are nearly all minority students (Weller, 2018).

            These results are part of what makes DeVos’s unwavering support of charter schools all the more mystifying. Typically, those in business look at the benefits of what their product produces- what make the product worthwhile to consumers. In a competitive market (a market with the choices DeVos often touts) this matters because the opposition will be quick to deliver on that which is lacking in order to gain an advantage in the marketplace.

            With education, everything is different. There isn’t truly any competition, there are contracts. There isn’t really value of the DeVos brand over another, instead there are vouchers.  

            DeVos’ maiming of the country’s educational system doesn’t just stop at curling her boney fingers around another crumpled dollar at the expense of an entire generation. She has also repealed no less than 72 federal statutes that serve students with various types of disabilities (Hammerschlag, 2018).  This action is as transparent as it is repulsive. Clearly, accommodating students with disabilities is cancer to the bottom line, DeVos’ bottom line.  

            Beyond the almighty dollar, is there anything else that motivates DeVos? That becomes harder to say. As mentioned earlier she seems to support the idea of religion in schools, and this writer would state that there’s nothing wrong with that, she only needs to make sure those same religious morals accompany her own decision making.

            When it comes to DeVos we have 2 things we can use with which to form opinions on her intent; her history and her actions in office. Each of these has thus far demonstrated her intent is not to educate, but merely profit off of the idea of education.

           

References

Emery, D. (2017, February 7). Meet Betsy DeVos, Trump’s Secretary of Education Nominee.     Retrieved May 6, 2018, from Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/betsy-devos-education-   secretary/

Hammerschlag, A. (2018, May 5). Betsy DeVos gets standing ovation from Florida graduates after   religious speech. Retrieved May 6, 2018, from Arizona Republic:   https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/05/05/betsy-devos-religious-   commencement-speech-earns-standing-ovation-fla-college/583868002/

Hefling, K. (2017, October 8). DeVos champions online charter schools, but the results are poor.   Retrieved May 6, 2018, from Politico: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/08/education-betsy-   devos-online-charter-schools-poor-results-243556

Weller, C. (2018, February 7). New education secretary Betsy DeVos champions vouchers and   charter  schools — here's what that means. Retrieved May 6, 2018, from Business Insider:   http://www.businessinsider.com/what-are-charter-schools-2017-2

Humbled and Confused

Once upon a time I was a wealthy employee of a multinational banking corporation. My job was admittedly cushy; I worked from home, I made closer to six figures than the opposite direction, and thanks to my job performance I was typically the recipient of a rather generous yearly bonus.       Unfortunately, this same job was extremely stressful and required upwards of sixty hour weeks at times.

So naturally I got fed up, and decided I wanted to do something more meaningful with my life. I wanted to “make a difference” (vomit).

These days I’ve returned to school as a “non-traditional” student (A.K.A. “old”) to finish my degree in social work. It’s not the heroic life I envisioned (kidding of course I never assumed this line of work would be heroic). But it’s a far cry from corporate life. After doing the student thing for about a year, I finally have become comfortable with rejoining the workforce on a part time basis (for more industry-based experience and beer money).  

After searching for about three months I decided to apply for a job as a caregiver with a local group home for the developmentally disabled. There’s been a learning curve, but not regarding the job duties or how to perform the work. No, the learning has come from the realization that the public sector performs much differently than the private sector.

From a banking perspective I can’t tell you how many hours I spent in training courses for the various jobs I had entered into before actually performing them. My experience with this particular group home has been much different. Although I will mention that before starting in the field the state required a first aid, CPR, Article nine and Prevention and Support. I was impressed by all of these as they were each several hours long and fairly thorough. However, the attention to detail ended there.

Once starting with my agency, who is contracted through the state to provide services to those with developmental disabilities, I was tasked to job shadow in the group home. My first day’s training consisted of reviewing daily medications, meeting the residents of the home (both of these tasks were completed in no more than thirty minutes). I was told the remaining of the time I’d be doing company-based training on the computer.

Much to my surprise I was quickly told after arriving I would be helping to chaperone residents of the home to an event at the local pro baseball field.  Before leaving I was also told that there would be no room in the car the other staff and residents were taking and I’d have to use my own (a week later and I still haven’t heard back about being reimbursed for mileage). Following the other staffers I made my way to the ballfield, and then wound up paying for my parking as well.

There then seemed to be some confusion on where we were sitting, and if we were staying for just the event ceremony (the residents got to go down on the field and walk the perimeter). I also thought it odd that for a full company gathering, not one out of the four managers there made an effort to introduce me to the other managers or staff.

I will say the event itself (for the Special Olympics) was nice, and the residents, particularly the kids, seemed to enjoy it. It was good to see them smiling.

I was then told to stay for the duration of the game (though this was sprung on me as well, I still wished to make a good first impression, so I agreed), as I had long ago passed my four hour shadowing commitment, but then as we returned to our seats to watch the first pitch, we were then told our home’s residents and staff were leaving. So back in the car, and back to the house. Still, my four hour in-home shadow had turned into a six hour ball park excursion. Which is good, considering I needed the extra hours to cover my gas mileage and parking cost.

Fast forward to the next day, I was asked to come in 2 hours early in order to meet with a seasoned staff member in order to ensure I was “set up for success”. Right…

I did so (again good impression), and was surprised to learn the season staff member I was meeting with had been there only 90 days. Again, we reviewed the medication book, but didn’t actually administer any meds, I was shown where the computer training was located that I never got to the day before, and the first aid kits, but only because I asked. The gentlemen showing me around then got permission to leave an hour early (keep in mind I came in two hours early just to meet with him).

I was also left by myself on my second night, not only on the job, but in the field with seven hours of experience. I had been told there’d always be two other staff members present at all times. But I’ve written this, so spoiler alert, I survived. Even changed a diaper, bathed a member and cleaned up urine soaked sheets (I wanted to make a difference right?). I also emailed the supervisor letting them know that while taking their internal training, I was shocked to see the words “handicapped” and “retard” appear in the text. Never heard back on that either, go figure.

 Admittedly, the whole night I was worried I might mess up somehow, make some simple mistake, or overlook something and it would spell the doom of one of the members in the home. Thank God everything was fine. Now, you could chalk this up to nerves, or my own flair for the dramatic. Perhaps those things were part of it, but there was also me expecting to see something more… to see a level of professionalism, and dedication unmatched by any corporate entity.

Where I stand now is left wondering what’s next. As I sit here on the brink of quitting, do the supervisors and managers here think someone like me is expendable only after investing so little in my success? Are my expectations too high? Are their standards too low? Do they look down on me and just think to themselves that I might be a newb that just wasn’t cut out for this line of work? Better question; do they even think at all?

I’m left with the humbling fact that I am making $9.20 an hour, and the confusing idea that a company whose business is the well-being of the people it serves, but does so little to support those that serve the ones they are responsible for.