U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos faced silent protests during her planned speech on school choice Thursday at Harvard University. Some students stood up to raise posters and fists. On the upper levels of the venue, some protesters unraveled banners. The signs read, "White Supremacist," and, “Our Students are Not 4 Sale.” Some demonstrators held signs criticizing her department's attempt to revise the Title IX policies governing sexual assault cases on college campuses.
DeVos ignored the protesters and delivered her speech, which advocated for states to embrace school choice expansion. She said lack of access to the best schooling opportunities is the biggest barrier for children, not poverty or malnourishment.
After her speech, DeVos took questions from the audience. One student asked DeVos if she would personally gain financially if more schools were run by private charter school companies. DeVos said she's spent more money helping families have choices in their children's schooling than she's made from it. She said it's up to the states to create school choice and she will encourage states who haven't already embraced it. She added, “I'm committed to ensuring that every child has an equal opportunity to get a great education.”
During the question and answer session, she reiterated a key point in her speech, saying it's wrong to think of charter schools as taking away money from other public schools. She said, “I'm trying to make the argument that we should be focused on funding students. Not buildings or systems. If students are empowered to go to a place that will work for them, those environments are going to form up in support of students.“
DeVos also addressed questions from students about campus sexual assault and enforcement of Title IX. She said, “One sexual assault is one too many, but by the same token, one that is denied due process is one too many."
As she walked off the stage, audience members mocked her with loud jeers and protest chants.
Outside the venue, hundreds of demonstrators chanted and held banners opposing for-profit schools and recent changes to how colleges handle sexual assault on campus. Among the protesters were representatives from the Massachusetts Teacher's Association, Boston Teacher's Union, and Our Harvard Can Do Better.
WGBH News’ coverage of K-12 education is made possible with support from the
Nellie Mae Education Foundation.
