Trump appoints Betsy DeVos as education secretary

[Belize]

Drain the swamp!

By putting more money in the system and hiring the same old geezers that have been there for decades.

[Garnier Fructis]

Nothing we can't fix in 4 years.

[Bullettime]

Nothing we can't fix in 4 years.

The concern is more the damage she could possibly do to the careers (edit: and pay rates) of current public schooling teachers if allowed to push any of her ideas.

[Puremallace]

The concern is more the damage she could possibly do to the careers of current public schooling teachers if allowed to push any of her ideas.

If I were a public school teacher I would fucking be quitting right now. This lady is SEVERELY anti public education.

[Tijuana]

So does she have any actual qualifications?

You mean like community organizing?

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Well .. All I can say is that the education system in the US is basically in the shitter and you can only go up from here.

It must smart that we are so dumb yet we win at everything always. (pun intended)

[Sinyc]

I've attended a charter school and it was fine for the most part. The only real problem was that they didn't have enough instructors and some of the ones they had were rather ill-equipped for the teaching environment.

Charter schools, in the US for sure, are complete scams. Give me like 2 minutes to find a good podcast episode all about charter schools.

Edit: Here ya go

http://www.congressionaldish.com/cd1...-succeeds-act/

[Paranoid Android]

Now I can learn gud.

[Nero Duskwind]

Part of the reason it is in the "shitter" is because Bills like "No Child Left Behind" and Every Student Succeeds". The US does not try to raise the student's grades. Instead the standards are lowered so that ALL students can pass. Over the years, these standards keeps getting lower and lower and lower.

Participation Trophy culture applied to education? Color me shocked!!

[Garnier Fructis]

It must smart that we are so dumb yet we win at everything always. (pun intended)

We win because we have the best higher education in the world, producing most of the best engineers and scientists. A large fraction are foreigners. Because when you're looking for the best students, you don't always limit yourself to the U.S.

And for good reason: that quality does not trickle down. Public schooling is pretty terrible in the U.S.

[Sinyc]

I mean, in terms of standards, it was roughly the same as the private school I attended for high school. In both cases, they were far more demanding than what public schools offered and also were less determined to hold me back at the level of my so-called peers.

Not sure if you will see my edit to the quoted text you got of me above.. but here is the podcast episode I was referring to.

http://www.congressionaldish.com/cd1...-succeeds-act/

[Tijuana]

We win because we have the best higher education in the world, producing most of the best engineers and scientists. A large fraction are foreigners. Because when you're looking for the best students, you don't always limit yourself to the U.S.

And for good reason: that quality does not trickle down. Public schooling is pretty terrible in the U.S.

That can't be right. I see lists all the time that say the US is last in everything and the EU is first in everything. Surely you are not suggesting there is something funny going on?

[jackofwind]

I don't care, Genn.

The only defense left to the thoroughly predictable.

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It must smart that we are so dumb yet we win at everything always. (pun intended)

Not at important things like hockey.

[Jimmy Woods]

How the rich get richer:
Step 1: Donate millions of dollars to politicians
Step 2: Get a job overseeing your businesses entire industry as a reward for your donations
Step 3: Set rules so your businesses will benefit
Step 4: Profit
Step 5: Laugh at Trump voters who wanted to get rid of pay-for-play and #draintheswamp

[Underverse]

As a Liberal who has lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, let me tell you this is a good pick. The DeVos family is extremely philanthropic and caring and do a lot of good for the less fortunate. They are what every rich person should aspire to be. These aren't your standard Republican rich white people. The DeVos' Childrens Hospital that is has become a pinnacle in its field(just their name because of donations, its a part of Spectrum Health), is largely due to Betsy and the work she has done surrounding it philanthropically. Many of the patients families don't pay a dime for the care they get. If your kid gets seriously ill in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, or Michigan, it's going to be the top choice of your list.

I'm willing to give her a chance. But I really don't like it when people with few qualifications are selected for demanding positions (see: Trump, and most of his cabinet picks so far). Being a good person does not make you a good secretary of education. You can be a piece of shit human in terms of sociability and kindness, and still do a damn good job.

But, I will give her a chance, as I will give Trump and the rest of his cabinet a chance before I judge them for things that have not yet come to pass. I would hope that everyone would do the same. If it's a disaster, just wait and you'll have the evidence to back your claim.

[Tijuana]

The only defense left to the thoroughly predictable.

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Not at important things like hockey.

Oh yeah, hockey. I forgot it was a thing. Do you guys still do that up there? Is there a pro league for it? Which American team won it last year? I just assume we won, because we are the best at literally everything, except losing.

[Garnier Fructis]

That can't be right. I see lists all the time that say the US is last in everything and the EU is first in everything. Surely you are not suggesting there is something funny going on?

I'm saying we suck at basically everything but cutting edge science and technology, which as a whole we're the best at. Actually, in some areas Europe has us beat: Europe gets the credit for being the first to experimentally detect the Higgs. At least we still claimed the glory of detecting gravity waves, thank God.

As a whole, we've got the best science and tech. But in other areas? Yeah, we basically suck. We don't have the best quality of life. We don't have the best access to healthcare. We don't have the best public education. We've got the best universities, and that's about it.

[jackofwind]

Oh yeah, hockey. I forgot it was a thing. Do you guys still do that up there?

Do we do anything else?

[Tijuana]

Do we do anything else?

Bang lumberjacks and eat syrup?