NEA: Trump puts DeVos’s agenda front and center in his State of the Union

WASHINGTON - National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García released the following statement in response to Donald Trump once again calling on Congress to divert public school funding into voucher programs in his State of the Union address:

“Tonight, Donald Trump once again put the agenda of Betsy DeVos, the least qualified Secretary of Education in U.S. history, front and center in his State of the Union by renewing his push to divert scarce funding from the public schools that 90 percent of students attend into private school voucher programs.

“The Trump/DeVos administration has previously proposed an extreme cut of $9 billion from public education, and now is doubling down on their extreme agenda as they again call on Congress to pass the same voucher schemes that Republicans and Democrats in Congress have rejected, knowing that these programs have been proven to fail students.

“Parents and educators have rejected these programs, knowing that a child's opportunity for success should not be left to chance. That is why over the last few years, parents and educators have joined together as part of the #RedforEd movement to advocate for stronger public schools and more resources for students.

“They agree that if we’re serious about every child’s future, elected officials need to listen and get serious about doing what works. This means providing resources to our neighborhood public schools so that students have inviting classrooms, a well-rounded curriculum, class sizes that are small enough for one-on-one attention, and support services such as health care, nutrition, and after-school programs for students who need them.”