University of Baltimore students protest Betsy DeVos as fall commencement speaker

Baltimore Sun ^ | September 11, 2017 | by Talia Richman

[Oldeconomybuyer]

University of Baltimore president Kurt Schmoke defended his decision to invite U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to speak at the school’s fall commencement, even as dozens of students protested against the invitation Monday and hundreds more signed a petition demanding he change his mind.

Schmoke, a former mayor of Baltimore, said students should reserve judgment on the controversial member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet. Hosting DeVos, he said, is “in the best tradition of the university.”

Dozens of students participated in a “class walk out” demonstration Monday afternoon, the first of two protests planned for today. UB junior Tracy Johnson stood up midway through her global ethics class and walked out, carrying a neon orange sign that read, #NeverBetsy.

DeVos supports “school choice,” and is a proponent of charter schools and school vouchers. She says her vision will create competition and improve public schools, but teachers’ unions and other supporters of public education say the secretary’s ideas would undermine the schools that serve the majority of America’s students.

“Your graduation day speaker is supposed to represent the best ideals of your school and highest aspirations of the students,” Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous said at the rally. “Betsy DeVos is quite simply the most anti-public education secretary of education our country has ever had.”

[Oldeconomybuyer]

I hope Mr. Schmoke stands his ground against these Organizing for Action parasites.

[Skywise]

Yeah - flunk their butts.

This is college. They’re there to learn - not on throwing temper tantrums.

[VeniVidiVici]

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous said at the rally. “Betsy DeVos is quite simply the most anti-public education secretary of education our country has ever had.”

Um, no, Betsy DeVos is quite simply the most anti-teachers' UNION and most pro-STUDENT education secretary our country has ever had. Which is why the Democrats hate her so much.

[TwelveOfTwenty]

Why yes, a freaking speech is way more important than holding the Democrats accountable for all of the blacks who are being gunned down in the city they have run for decades.

[Right Wing Assault]

The colleges need to have mandatory classes called, "How to Listen to People With Whom You Don't Agree," to be followed by "How to Treat Those People Civilly and How to Carry on an Adult Conversation with Them without Shouting Them Down."

[high info voter]

Gotta keep up the anarchy!

[goodnesswins]

Stealing that and posting it on my Facebook...okay?

[Wuli]

It only shows how uneducated and how politically indoctrinated college students how.

What do they now 100% most of all - the media narratives and their agenda.

[Seruzawa]

Is there anything these crying babies don’t freak out about.

[Right Wing Assault]

Go to it!

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Maryland “Freak State” PING!