Appointing Betsy DeVos Is like Hiring A Football Coach Who Hates Football

Try a thought experiment with me.

Let’s say you’re a Dallas Cowboys fan I live in Texas, but please insert the name of your favorite team and a new owner replaces Jerry Jones. A new owner that comes from Hollywood. He’s seen movies about football, but on the whole, he thinks it’s a pretty dumb game. This new owner then brings in a coach to replace Jason Garrett. The new coach is a friend of the owner who’s done him some favors, loaned him some money to cover some bills. But get this, the coach doesn’t like football. Not only doesn’t like it, but he’s campaigned against it on the grounds that it’s dangerous for kids. This coach has never played football, nor have any of his kids. He’s given all his time and money to the horror! soccer because he believes it’s a better sport for the country overall.

Would you tolerate this for even a second? Do you think the fans would tolerate it for a second? No fan would put up with such an absurd scenario.

Yet, this is what we’re watching with the looming appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. A woman who knows nothing about public education except the fact that she can’t stand it. A billionaire who never worked in education, never attended public school, never sent her kids to public school and has actively funded efforts to undermine public education.

If you’re outraged at the thought of a soccer-loving, football-hating head coach of your favorite team, imagine how furious the teachers of 50 million public school students and their administrators are right now.