Press Release

The Education Trust Statement on Trump’s Nomination for U.S. Secretary of Education

WASHINGTON (November 23, 2016) —The Education Trust issued the following statement on President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement of his nominee for U.S. Secretary of Education.

“In the past 15 years, the United States has made real progress in educating all students, especially the low-income students and students of color who are now the majority of our public school population. Thanks to the hard work of educators, policymakers, families, and students, more students have fundamental reading and math skills, graduate from high school, and enroll in postsecondary education than ever before. But we still have a very long way to go to ensure that all young people get a high-quality education that will equip them to be active members of our society, our economy, and our democracy.

“As U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos has the opportunity to continue our nation’s upward trajectory by working to ensure that students are given the opportunities they need to succeed academically, and that schools and institutions are responsible for the success of all students.

“But there is a very real risk of undoing this hard-won progress if resources are diverted from the young people who most need them, or if the federal government fails to uphold its responsibility to protecting the needs and interests of all students — especially the most vulnerable.

“The Education Trust encourages DeVos to find any opportunities to protect and promote progress for low-income students and students of color. We stand ready to work with her and the Department of Education in that effort. And, as we always have, we will vigorously oppose any initiative — regardless of where it comes from — that would divert resources from the students who need them the most or otherwise undermine the progress we need to make for the new majority of public school students.”