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Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Betsy DeVos’s Institutional Racism Problem | educarenow

Betsy DeVos’s Institutional Racism Problem | educarenow:

Betsy DeVos’s Institutional Racism Problem


As have no doubt heard, the State School Reform Office of the state of Michigan has released the names of the 38 schools that are slated for possible closure. These are schools that have been determined to be among the “lowest performing” schools in the state as measured by “achievement data” for the past 3 years. These are schools that Betsy DeVos, soon to be cleared as Secretary of Education, calls “failing.”
I call B.S.
And, more importantly, I call institutional racism.
Let’s be clear and name this- Betsy DeVos is a huge proponent of institutional racism.
How do you spot institutional racism? It’s pretty easy.
First, here is what you don’t do. You don’t go looking for individual racists. I honestly don’t know DeVos’s personal ideas on race. I am certainly not naming her as a racist. Her intentions are beyond by my ability to determine. More so, as Secretary of Education, I don’t see her personal intentions as particularly relevant. (The same goes for Attonrey General nominee Jeff Sessions. All of these people testifying as to their personal experience in working with him is irrelevant. Who cares if those who know him claim he’s a nice guy? See below.)
What is relevant are the effects and outcomes of the policies that she supports. These are very, very easy to determine. And they clearly, clearly Betsy DeVos’s Institutional Racism Problem | educarenow: