How Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Undermines Civil Rights and Favors Predatory Lenders Over Students

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, joins us to discuss recent developments with billionaire Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, a longtime backer of charter schools and vouchers for private and religious schools. DeVos said earlier this month that she wanted to return the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights “to its role as a neutral, impartial, investigative agency.” An official with the office came under fire last week after she said that most campus rape claims amount to two young people who are “both drunk.” Meanwhile, attorneys general in 18 states are suing DeVos and the Department of Education over a rule to protect student loan borrowers that was set to go into effect on July 1, until DeVos announced a “reset” of the rule, known as “borrower defense to repayment.”

TRANSCRIPT

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JUAN GONZÁLEZ: We turn now to look at billionaire Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, a longtime backer of charter schools and vouchers for private and religious schools. She has said she considers education a, quote, “industry,” and called the public school system a “dead end.” A recent study by Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes, however, found that students attending for-profit charter schools have significantly lower academic gains than those attending nonprofit charters.

AMY GOODMAN: DeVos is back in the news this month after she said she wanted to return the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights, quote, “to its role as a neutral, impartial, investigative agency,” unquote. An official with the office came under fire last week after she said that most campus rape claims amount to two young people who are “both drunk.” Meanwhile, attorney generals in 18 states and the District of Columbia are suing DeVos and the Department of Education over a rule to protect student loan borrowers that was set to go into effect July 1st, until DeVos announced a “reset” of the…

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