Tag: Department of Education

While you weren’t looking: 5 stories from the Trump administration that aren’t about taxes

The following article by A.P. Joyce was posted on the mic.com website December 18, 2017:

The news this week was dominated by the historic election of Doug Jonesin Alabama and the ongoing machinations to try to pass the Republican tax bill before the senator is sworn in.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been hard at work making consequential policy decisions that affect the U.S. and its relationship with the rest of the world.

Here’s what you might have missed: Continue reading “While you weren’t looking: 5 stories from the Trump administration that aren’t about taxes”

The DeVos vote is a bad case study for the power of campaign contributions

The following article by Philip Bump was posted on the Washington Post website February 7, 2017:

Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) greets Betsy DeVos for her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Capitol Hill on Jan. 17. (Brendan Smialowski/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)

After the Senate narrowly — historically narrowly — voted to approve the Cabinet nomination of Betsy DeVos, opponents of her nomination presented a theoretical rationale: money.

CAP Education @EdProgress

Toomey, Cochran, Capito, and Tillis have all voted ‘yes’ to confirm DeVos as Secretary of Education

CAP Education @EdProgress

Here’s how much they received from DeVos: pic.twitter.com/Fhm6R9awbf

View image on Twitter

Continue reading “The DeVos vote is a bad case study for the power of campaign contributions”

13 Facts that Set the Record Straight on DeVos

The following article by Stephanie Johnson and Coleton Whitaker was posted on the Center for American Progress website January 31, 2017:

AP/Carolyn Kaster
Secretary of education nominee Betsy DeVos testifies at her confirmation hearing in Washington on January 17, 2017.

Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of education, sat before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on January 17, 2017, for her confirmation hearing. During that hearing, DeVos made a series of statements that avoided straightforward answers, conflicted with her record on various subjects, and expressed confusion about the basic issues affecting students in public schools across America. Spokespeople from President Trump’s transition team and others have similarly made statements about DeVos that diverge from what her record shows.

This column presents 13 facts that set the record straight. These facts debunk DeVos’ “alternative facts” with actual facts and evidence regarding her history as a career megadonor and political influencer. Continue reading “13 Facts that Set the Record Straight on DeVos”

The DeVos Dynasty: A Family of Extremists

The following article by Catherine Brown and Ulrich Boser was posted on the Center for American Progress website January 23, 2017:

Photo: AP/Carolyn Kaster

On Tuesday, Betsy DeVos appeared in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to be considered for the country’s next secretary of education. In her hearing, DeVos tried to present herself as a run-of-the-mill school advocate and a thoughtful visionary who uses a research-based approach to improving schools and enhancing children’s wellbeing. But a closer look at DeVos’s background—and the transcript from Tuesday night’s hearing—shows that she instead represents an extremist, right-wing perspective. Continue reading “The DeVos Dynasty: A Family of Extremists”