American Federation of Teachers on DeVos resignation: ‘Good riddance’
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued a statement on the sudden departure of the now-former Secretary of Education Devos
The list of political leaders jumping the sinking ship of President Donald Trump‘s administration included education secretary Betsy DeVos, and educators are not upset.
Read More: AOC, Ted Cruz clash on Twitter after call for his resignation from Senate
The American Federation of Teachers released an official statement regarding the abrupt departure. President of the AFT Randi Weingarten wrote a simple yet clear memo on the resignation.
“Good Riddance,” the statement exclaimed. No further opinions were added to the two word release.
According to the document, the AFT represents 1.7 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school-related personnel. This includes higher education faculty and professional staff, federal, state, and local government employees, nurses and healthcare workers, and early childhood educators.
theGrio reported DeVos quit after a pro-Trump insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In her resignation letter, the 63-year-old blamed Trump for the violent attempted takeover which resulted in multiple arrests and two fatalities thus far.
“There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation, and it is the inflection point for me,” she wrote according to the report.
Read More: Biden plans to overhaul education with exit of Betsy DeVos
As Trump’s presidency comes to a climactic end, President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office. He has already selected Connecticut education commissioner, Dr. Miguel Cardona, as his education secretary. Inside Higher Ed reported Cardona has a rich history in education, notably in 2003, Cardona, then 28, becoming the youngest principal in the state.
“Dr. Cardona has a proven track record as an innovative leader who will fight for all students, and for a better, fairer, more successful education system,” Biden said. “He will also strive to eliminate long-standing inequities and close racial and socioeconomic opportunity gaps — and expand access to community colleges, training, and public four-year colleges and universities to improve student success and grow a stronger, more prosperous, and more inclusive middle class.”
The AFT has issued approval to Biden’s selection. In a press release, Weingarten shared his experience with Cardona, a former member of AFT.
“I worked closely with Dr. Cardona during his time in the Meriden, Conn., school district. If you want an example of how labor and management can come together to improve learning and student achievement, you need only look at Meriden. His deep respect for educators and their unions will travel with him to Washington—and that commitment to collaboration is crucial to providing the resources and social and emotional supports to safely reopen schools,” he said.
“There is great potential for a renaissance in public education after years and years of the school wars. That is the hope that Dr. Cardona, with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Dr. Jill Biden at his side, represents.”
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