Trump

[shockmonster]

Hmm. DeVos is an out of the mainstream pick. What a shock. I'm not for her or really against her. I don't see the Federal government influencing local education at all. It's all about the states and local communities values. If you want any good education systems, find a place where academics, music, and debate programs have high expectations.

[shocka khan]

Hmm. DeVos is an out of the mainstream pick. What a shock. I'm not for her or really against her. I don't see the Federal government influencing local education at all. It's all about the states and local communities values. If you want any good education systems, find a place where academics, music, and debate programs have high expectations.

DeVos will try to do for the Education department what her brother Erik did for the Defense department.

Does anyone here remember Blackwater? The 18 Iraqui civilians that were murdered by Blackwater guards?

Just like 'Ole Erik found a way to monetize his hobby (guns and security services) his sister Betsy will also try to find a way to monetize her hobby (advocating for school vouchers).

I voted for Trump, but I'm really disappointed with this pick. This byotch will create another swamp, not drain one.

My prediction is some private school company will spring up with ties to the DeVos family. They will make a pile of $$$.

[ShockerPrez]

So....

We all good with moving education control back to the states?

[shocktown]

I'm not sure about DeVos, but guilt by association? OK

[SB Shock]

Obama didn't put up DeVos. She is quite literally the least qualified candidate to ever hold a cabinet position while also being one of the most corrupt picks in history. Her sole qualification for the job is the money she spent for it. The money she spent in Michigan in her experiment dropped the state's education outcomes from 13th to 45th and her hearings proved that she was thoroughly and utterly incompetent.

This is not a case of "well they voted for their crappy picks too, so we had too!" Obama had three failed nominations: all withdrew their names. Bill Richardson withdrew his name after federal investigations into his donors. Judd Gregg, a Republican, withdrew his name because of fundamental disagreements with Obama's policies. Finally, Tom Daschle withdrew his name over $220,000 in speaking fees.

Betty DeVos is nothing but a mega-donor to the Republican party, with over $200 million from the DeVos family. She is the first education secretary to not have been a public school parent or student; she may have never set foot in a public school in her life. Anyone that cares should have rejected her.

And yes, some Democrats did vote against Obama's picks. He only had 5 roll call votes as his picks were, to put it simply, less controversial, and of five there were 7 Democratic nays (4 for Geitner). Which means that Democrats broke from the ranks far more often than what we've seen for Trump's picks despite a far more qualified field with fewer ethics issues. For proof, look to the fact that none of those five picks went to a party-line vote; the worst got 9 Republicans and no Republican voted against all five.

There is no equivalency.

Only thing I'm disappointed in was trump didn't do what Reagan said he would do - abolish the department of education. I guess this is the next best thing. Plus it funny watching the liberals foam at the mouth that there is "intelligence design" advocate in charge of the department of education.

[Aargh]

The moment one dime of voucher money goes to a Christian private school, the door is open for government-funded teaching of Sharia Law and jihad in K-12 in Muslim schools.

I'm afraid that if you move the kids out of schools with poor academic records into schools with better academic results, you will just re-create the poor outcomes at the next school.

I don't see how privatizing schools works. Throw in the profit factor, and it gets really difficult to keep the same amount of money flowing into the classroim. Bidding down teacher salaries would cause fewer people to go into teaching. We're already facing teacher shortages. Cut down administrative expenses (salaries) and the better-qualified administrators (or potential administrators) will find employment in other sectors. The hiring model in the private sector is to always hire the best and brightest. That doesn't seem to be the goal in a privatized education system. The goal seems to be education by the lowest bidder.

Online education would reduce some costs, but there are several huge problems there. Do we really want to isolate K-12 students from the rest of the world to that extent? Online progress tests are not reliable. there is no way to know who's actual on the keyboard.

I can't finish this post without mentioning a plan brought up in Kansas. Give vouchers to parents who home school their kids. If you think welfare gets abused, think of how a system like that might work out. Mama needs some more cocaine and some new shoes, so homeschool the kids and get that government voucher money rolling in. About to run out of kids to homeschool? Better keep them coming on a regular basis to keep that voucher money rolling in.

I swear there has been absolutely no thought put in on how some of these plans would work out if they were implemented.

[John Higgins]

How exactly would a school voucher system work? I understand parents get more choices and receive the voucher instead of the USD receiving it, but when it comes to the details:

So a kid that lives in Haysville could attend Goddard schools?

If that's the case & a voucher system is established, shouldn't all USD property taxes be the same no matter where you live? Why would you live in Butler County and pay a higher Andover USD tax bill when anyone from anywhere can attend there?

Wouldn't some schools focus on athletics and become state powerhouses? Elementary school kids getting recruited?

Would it not spell the end of a school bus system? You can't run a route all over the city, at least not efficiently.

Wouldn't the feeling of community pride in schools be diminished? I assume things such as local bond issues would go away and be decided by some D.C. beaurocrat? A community would never approve a bond increase when half the students don't even live locally.

Some schools would be at max capacity quickly. So I guess it would just go to a lottery system on who gets to attend the high demand schools?

[SB Shock]

How exactly would a school voucher system work? I understand parents get more choices and receive the voucher instead of the USD receiving it, but when it comes to the details:

Vouchers are like scholarships that allow students to attend private schools that otherwise they might not be able to attend. For Wichita this would be the Independent School, Trinity Academy, Collegiate, Kapaun, Sunrise, Bishop Carroll, etc.

[John Higgins]

So the voucher has to be used on your local public school or a private school? Makes more sense. Parents get a choice of public school system when you decide where to live

[ShockingButTrue]

[SB Shock]

So the voucher has to be used on your local public school or a private school? Makes more sense. Parents get a choice of public school system when you decide where to live

It would be for private schools. Choice of public school is pretty much determined by which school district you live in. Public schools are most free with just some fees.

[CBB_Fan]

Only thing I'm disappointed in was trump didn't do what Reagan said he would do - abolish the department of education. I guess this is the next best thing. Plus it funny watching the liberals foam at the mouth that there is "intelligence design" advocate in charge of the department of education.

I think her being completely unqualified for the position and clearly buying her way in are bigger controversies than her personal views. Even if you completely and totally agree with her ideas you should be able to agree that cabinet seats shouldn't be for sale and that people should have some minimal amount of experience for the job.

[SB Shock]

I think her being completely unqualified for the position and clearly buying her way in are bigger controversies than her personal views. Even if you completely and totally agree with her ideas you should be able to agree that cabinet seats shouldn't be for sale and that people should have some minimal amount of experience for the job.

From what I read she was not a big Trump supporter and didn't support him. She does have ties to Pence.

[shocka khan]

From what I read she was not a big Trump supporter and didn't support him. She does have ties to Pence.

Read this and you will understand how the pieces fit.

http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-joseph-e-schmitz-foreign-policy-pentagon-dod-germany-wrong-doing-439239

Joseph Schmitz was forced out of his Pentagon job by Charles Grassley. At the time he was accused of protecting Bush administration officials (and Boeing).

After he was forced out, he went to work in the legal department as an executive for Blackwater, the company Betsy Devos' brother ran.

Under the Trump administration, he is now Trump's foreign policy advisor.

See how this works? It sure doesn't look like the guy who ran on a platform to 'drain the swamp' really intended to do it, unless he meant he was going to drain the swamp to build a new, bigger swamp benefitting none other than Donald J. Trump.

[SB Shock]

Read this and you will understand how the pieces fit.

http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-joseph-e-schmitz-foreign-policy-pentagon-dod-germany-wrong-doing-439239

Joseph Schmitz was forced out of his Pentagon job by Charles Grassley. At the time he was accused of protecting Bush administration officials (and Boeing).

After he was forced out, he went to work in the legal department as an executive for Blackwater, the company Betsy Devos' brother ran.

Under the Trump administration, he is now Trump's foreign policy advisor.

See how this works? It sure doesn't look like the guy who ran on a platform to 'drain the swamp' really intended to do it, unless he meant he was going to drain the swamp to build a new, bigger swamp benefitting none other than Donald J. Trump.

I can see the possible ties.

I think there are always going to be swamps in D.C. - only way to get rid of them or make them smaller is make the Government smaller and reduce their power.