Besty DeVos needs to educate herself

Let’s talk again about the new Secretary of Education, Ms. Besty DeVos. Catherine E. Lhamon from Washington Monthly states that “Betsy DeVos May Need a Civil Rights Reality Check”. The article’s author was an Assistant Secretary of Education in charge of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education and she is a civil rights attorney for a long time. Thus, her knowledge on civil rights’ matters is very credible.

The article’s intended audience is Besty DeVos. Recently, Ms.Devos stated she could not give her opinion on whether or not federal involvements in school is necessary today. According to the article, it is important for a person like Ms. Devos who “holds the purse strings for billions of federal dollars and leads federal involvement in schools” knows that “the federal government must actively ensure that our nation’s schools keep core civil rights promises.”

The author lists out examples of federal involvements which help students get better treatment, and education in school. One of them is eliminating the effects of segregation in Lee County Schools which ensured every student, despite their skin color, “had access to an education that would prepare them to fulfill their dreams.” The federal involvements helped solve many problems and mistreatments in schools around the country.

Here is one of the examples:

“In West Contra Costa Unified School District in California, where there were highly publicized rapes of middle school and high school students, administrators told the civil rights office staff that they were aware students were sexually harassing each other at school, but they hadn’t taken action because such behavior was expected of Latino students in an “urban culture.” After federal intervention, students in the district can now attend school without being subjected to a hostile environment of harassment and discrimination.”

There are more examples of the good works of the federal involvements. The new Secretary of Education needs to acknowledge them and continue to create a safe education environment for all children of every race. I completely agree with the article.