The Annenberg Institute published a memo on what to expect from the Trump administration and Betsy DeVos. Current news reports suggest they are correct. Here are their predictions about actions to come. They follow with what to do about them.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
- Legislation to extend vouchers now in Washington D.C. nationally to students with disabilities. Follow S235, (R, SC) Scott’s CHOICE act.
- Change the tax code to give tax credits that would create a pool of money to expand vouchers.
- Expand charter schools.
- Reduce focus on civil rights and equity by de staffing the Office of Civil Rights.
- Dismantle the ESSA.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
- Find new sources of revenue for education and eliminate corporate tax credits for education.
- Support the development of community schools.
- Divert funding from ‘policing’ to supporting positive behavior.
- Call for a moratorium on choice expansion
We have to focus on the positive. Our public schools are not failing. We may be failing our public schools by not countering the corporate self interested assault on them. It is time to push back.