Posted on 02/10/2017 12:11:53 PM PST by markomalley
A mob of Black Lives Matter supporters, union activists and others converged on a D.C. middle school Friday to throw a fit over a visit by newly minted Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
The group toted signs like “I am more qualified than Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education and I’m a veterinarian!” and “Ms DeVos: Our children are not props” as they blocked the driveway to Jefferson Middle School Academy and refused to move, NBC Washington reports.
Ironically, one heckler’s sign read: “Welcome to our public school. It’s open to everyone!”
At the center of the mix was Washington Teachers’ Union boss Elizabeth Davis, who held a vigil in front of the school as message to DeVos during her first official visit to a public school since her Senate confirmation on Tuesday.
“Everyone will have a different way of demonstrating discontent with her policies. I understand why some parents are concerned. My message is that we have got to keep the pressure on the Department of Ed., on Betsy DeVos, to ensure that structures are in place that would safeguard our public schools and stay vigilant. We simply cannot be on the sidelines and let things happen to our public schools without voicing our concerns and resisting things that would be harmful to our kids, Davis said, according to WAMU.
Davis wants DeVos to understand that the union and its supporters care more about maintaining the failing public school system they rely on for their livelihood than they do about creating school choice options that are proven to improve student academic performance.
“We want to send the message that we love our public school system. We do not want a market-driven school system,” Davis said. “We want to have support for our public schools and build on that. We are going to continue to advocate for quality public schools throughout the district and in all communities.”
DeVos, accompanied by District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson, eventually alluded the crowd and entered Jefferson through the back door.
Neither DeVos nor Wilson spoke with the media, and The Washington Post alleges DeVos’s office ignored its request for comment on the visit.
Outside, protestors who wouldn’t give their name to the media took turns badmouthing the new Secretary of Education and regurgitating the union’s misleading talking points against school choice.
“Betsy DeVos does not represent our students or our families here in D.C.,” one teacher allegedly told the Post. “She doesn’t have our best interests at heart.”
Others said they were “horrified” by DeVos.
“I really fear for our students’ future and the future of our schools and communities,” an anonymous teacher allegedly said. “Her belief in privatization without equal accountability leaves high-needs students behind.”
This should be used as justification for her policies.
The people preventing her from entering the school are preventing children from getting a good education.
I wonder how much the books at the NEA resemble those of any skim operation and now, the books will be exposed. /s
~In my very humble opinion.
Veterinarians are pretty smart people (usually)Not a good comparison.
What a great idea. Piss off the woman that can END unions and the public school monopoly on education. Oh, and do it publicly because that will make it worse. Dumbasses
These “people” should have been arrested and if they resisted arrest should have been tasered until they lost control of their bowels, then dragged off to jail.
This kind of behavior is despicable to say the least.
My question is why did they tell people where they were going ahead of time? This isn’t a requirement and all it does is give the protesters time to get organized.
Send her in with a gross of FBI officers and arrest all of those who block her.
Then find and arrest George Soros
She can edit the common core curriculum to tell the truth about communism.
They've been brainwashed in their echo chamber. There's an element that is willing to cause a Civil War if they can't get their way, and it has spread into the courts, into the elected and appointed DC crowd, and almost completely taken over media and entertainment.
President Trump is our last chance. I never in my imagination thought it was this bad. (Would he have even tried if he knew how bad it is?) I thought that if we prevailed at the ballot box, elected officials would be allowed to govern. Now I wonder if the maniacs aren't willing to turn us into Libya or Syria if they can't get their way.
Yeah, I'm suspecting that we're at the brink.
Wait til summer when school is out Betsy then lower the boom, break the union and start hiring new teachers. Lie Reagan did with air traffic controllers
Betsy DeVos should’ve yelled at the crowd “You violent thugs are a great example of why our public school systems need to be changed!:
No need to take a chance with the good officers of the US, send in an A-10 with its 30mm firing at full mode. Guarantee after blasting that mob off the entryway into the school there would be no opposition. Will of course need a firetruck to clean off the pavement.
But it should not be a prison - anyone who wants to should be able to leave.
When one weighs the amount of money spent per student in DC public and the outcome, one finds why the union and its shills support the current system. There just has to be a better way.
“The people preventing her from entering the school are preventing children from getting a good education.”
That’s because they don’t care about education. Rather, they care about union dues and political influence. The students became a secondary concern after teachers unionized. Their primary concern is money and political influence to ensure teachers receive even more money, job security and cushy retirement packages.
America will NEVER regain greatness, until we outlaw and completely eliminate public-sector labor unions, especially education system unions.
It was probably a vegetarian who doesn’t know how to spell.
Paint ball gun with blue leather dye and itching powder comes to mind as a viable way to disburse the crowd.
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