60 Minutes: Betsy Devos' Struggle

[Ebsy]

https://twitter.com/BubbaAtkinson/status/972979412789530624

Embarrassed that this woman is Secretary of Education.

[Hindsight was 2020]

Woof

[Badger]

Thank God there's someone left in journalism with guts.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I can't tell if she's just that stupid or if she thinks we're just that stupid...

She should have her money taken away.  With a smile like that I'm sure she'd do just fine schleppin burgers at the McDonalds drive thru window.

[Calthrina950]

I watched the interview, and DeVos definitely comes across as insincere and ignorant. She is without any doubt one of the worst members of Trump's cabinet.

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

"I have not intentionally visited schools that are underperforming."

"Maybe you should."

"Maybe I should."

she should resign after getting owned so hard

[Badger]

I can't tell if she's just that stupid or if she thinks we're just that stupid...

She should have her money taken away.  With a smile like that I'm sure she'd do just fine schleppin burgers at the McDonalds drive thru window.

Which, if she was born into a typical family in one of those underperforming Michigan school districts, as opposed to inheriting tens of millions in Amway money, she would no doubt be doing rather than serving in a presidential cabinet, no matter how bunglingly

[Indy Texas]

In the spirit of the late Molly Ivins, I'd say Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education is like a turtle atop a fencepost. It didn't get there through its own work, it doesn't belong there, and lord knows the poor thing is struggling.

[DINGO Joe]

In the spirit of the late Molly Ivins, I'd say Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education is like a turtle atop a fencepost. It didn't get there through its own work, it doesn't belong there, and lord knows the poor thing is struggling.

I miss Molly.  I've got a couple of her books around here somewhere.

[Catholics vs. Convicts]

I can't tell if she's just that stupid or if she thinks we're just that stupid...

I think its both...

[junior chįmp]

She card read good

[Hindsight was 2020]

She card read good

Nice

[LimoLiberal]

Speaking of secretaries of education, my friend dated Arne Duncan's daughter.

[IndustrialJustice]

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/03/many-democrats-would-agree-with-ideas-in-betsy-devos-60-minutes-clip.html

[Del Tachi]

Betsy DeVos is just one of many unprepared and unqualified executive branch appointments.  She definitely did bad on the interview, but the fact that she attracts so much attention and disdain (for relatively trivial matters such as her wealth, for instance) to me reeks of a double-standard based on her gender.

No one questioned John Kerry's business connections or potential conflicts of interest despite the fact that he's also a billionaire and headed a much larger, more influential cabinet department, but I guess that's just the pass you get for being a man.

[pbrower2a]

As one middle-school principal told me when I asked about the students of an elementary school that was a feeder of the troubled kids to his school what was wrong with the school, he answered me with the terse reply:

"They go home".

Their nominal parents aren't honest-to-God grown-ups and care little about the kids' performance in school. Ethnicity? The black bourgeoisie has no problem with their kids failing to achieve average or above-average levels of learning in school because their kids do exactly that.  One has a culture in which 'acting white' is selling out... never mind that the most honored of African-Americans may have 'acted white' when it mattered most so that they could either compete with 'Whitey' economically and professionally or challenge the largely-white power structures and especially the (largely) dumb white racists.

I've seen evidence of parents of all ethnic backgrounds insisting that their kids pay attention to their studies, eat somewhat healthy food, get adequate sleep, do household chores (especially if the parents are working to exhaustion or working ungodly hours), and show respect to teachers.  With kids who fit that pattern, any teacher not grossly incompetent becomes highly effective. With kids who fit another pattern in which parents would rather go night-clubbing than help with homework, who accommodate the least-common-denominator desires of their kids in cuisine, who are involved heavily in drugs and alcohol, and let the Idiot Screen serve as an uncriticized babysitter (the kids are not watching PBS, let's put it that way), and have superstitious views of the world... you can imagine the results. Is this racist? I have seen it with white kids, too, and it doesn't work any better. When I end up with a classroom full of such kids I end up with a focus on discipline instead of teaching.

Blame the media? The kids are watching the same cable channels, except that the poorer ones (or the parents who decide not to pay extra for premium channels on TV). If the white kids are more likely to watch hockey and the black kids are more likely to watch basketball I cannot see the difference  in effect. Non-native speakers of English? Here's my favorite Texas joke:

Do you know what you call a Texan who speaks good English?

MEXICAN!

...besides, immigrants from non-English-speaking countries whose native languages are far more different from English than is Spanish fit the same pattern of parents insisting upon kids learning good English even if they remain true to the immigrant culture.  

I hear plenty of complaints from students that I insist that they 'act white'. Considering how many white losers there are, like the many meth fiends and opiate-dependent people near where I live, I may be guilty of something very different from 'acting white'. The black bourgeoisie would be good enough for me as a model for black kids from troubled backgrounds.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Betsy DeVos is just one of many unprepared and unqualified executive branch appointments.  She definitely did bad on the interview, but the fact that she attracts so much attention and disdain (for relatively trivial matters such as her wealth, for instance) to me reeks of a double-standard based on her gender.

No one questioned John Kerry's business connections or potential conflicts of interest despite the fact that he's also a billionaire and headed a much larger, more influential cabinet department, but I guess that's just the pass you get for being a man.

ROFLMAO!

Thank you, thank you, for the Monday laugh.

[Rookie Yinzer]

Betsy DeVos is just one of many unprepared and unqualified executive branch appointments.  She definitely did bad on the interview, but the fact that she attracts so much attention and disdain (for relatively trivial matters such as her wealth, for instance) to me reeks of a double-standard based on her gender.

No one questioned John Kerry's business connections or potential conflicts of interest despite the fact that he's also a billionaire and headed a much larger, more influential cabinet department, but I guess that's just the pass you get for being a man.

Trivial? She literally bought her position.

And this has nothing to do with her gender. LOL. Betsy Devos is just elitist trash. There's nothing redeemable about the bumbling idiot.

[Badger]

Betsy DeVos is just one of many unprepared and unqualified executive branch appointments.  She definitely did bad on the interview, but the fact that she attracts so much attention and disdain (for relatively trivial matters such as her wealth, for instance) to me reeks of a double-standard based on her gender.

No one questioned John Kerry's business connections or potential conflicts of interest despite the fact that he's also a billionaire and headed a much larger, more influential cabinet department, but I guess that's just the pass you get for being a man.

Trivial? She literally bought her position.

And this has nothing to do with her gender. LOL. Betsy Devos is just elitist trash. There's nothing redeemable about the bumbling idiot.

I guess it should be pointed out that Kerry spent 18 years or so on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, including several years has its chair, and has a very strong background in diplomacy. Betsy DeVos is background and education is essentially being a wealthy Republican contributor.

 This is literally the worst possible comparison you can make to prove your point.

[Yank2133]

Yeah, comparing Devos to Kerry is nonsense. Devos appointment is more akin to Caroline Kennedy or Dan Rooney become ambassadors. People who did the President a solid and are being rewarded.

Of course, Devos is in a position that can do significant damage, Unlike Kennedy and Rooney.

[Badger]

Yeah, comparing Devos to Kerry is nonsense. Devos appointment is more akin to Caroline Kennedy or Dan Rooney become ambassadors. People who did the President a solid and are being award.

Of course, Devos is in a position that can do significant damage, Unlike Kennedy and Rooney.

And for what it's worth, appointment of political hacks and fundraisers to Ambassador ships, with a few high-level exceptions, is long-standing and not all that problematic. The real date today diplomatic service staff, so all the appointee has to do is show up two functions, read a few prepared speeches, and smile. I wouldn't particularly care much if Betsy DeVos was appointed as ambassador to the Netherlands or the like ( she's a Dutch Heritage, right?). It's a nothingburger position with some personal prestige 90 + percent of the time.

The same cannot remotely be set of the Secretary of Education.

[Yank2133]

Yeah, comparing Devos to Kerry is nonsense. Devos appointment is more akin to Caroline Kennedy or Dan Rooney become ambassadors. People who did the President a solid and are being award.

Of course, Devos is in a position that can do significant damage, Unlike Kennedy and Rooney.

And for what it's worth, appointment of political hacks and fundraisers to Ambassador ships, with a few high-level exceptions, is long-standing and not all that problematic. The real date today diplomatic service staff, so all the appointee has to do is show up two functions, read a few prepared speeches, and smile. I wouldn't particularly care much if Betsy DeVos was appointed as ambassador to the Netherlands or the like ( she's a Dutch Heritage, right?). It's a nothingburger position with some personal prestige 90 + percent of the time.

The same cannot remotely be set of the Secretary of Education.

Agreed.

[Del Tachi]

My criticism was aimed at those who argue that the main disqualification for DeVos is that she's wealthy and never attended a public school herself. 

[Badger]

My criticism was aimed at those who argue that the main disqualification for DeVos is that she's wealthy and never attended a public school herself. 

Honestly, I'm not sure I've heard anyone criticize her on that basis, or at least make it even in their top five critiques. The overarching criticism of hers she is completely inexperienced in educational policy, and demonstrate sit on it regular basis.

Though admittedly the fact that she is worth literally tens of millions of dollars does make her proposals for gutting Public School budgets under the guise of school choice seem just a tad out of touch, yes.