3/7/2018

BETSY DEVOS/DEMS/EDUCATION: “Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has been approving state plans that don’t specifically measure the performance of minority students, arguing there is no requirement for the plans to do so but prompting Democratic allegations that she is violating a 2015 education law.
The law, passed on a bipartisan basis, contains several provisions championed by Democrats that require states to collect data on the academic performance of minority students and include them in school ratings systems. Those ratings systems, in turn, help determine which schools require intervention or aid.
Under plans submitted to the Education Department last year, 41 states crafted ratings systems that omit the performance of some or all minority groups, such as black students, children with disabilities, or English-language learners. Mrs. DeVos has so far approved plans from 33 states, many of which include those ratings systems.
Mrs. DeVos has defended her actions, saying the agency is returning more autonomy to the states. A department spokeswoman said the law’s requirements aren’t as specific as Democrats say they are.”

-Michelle Hackman, “DeVos, Democrats Spar Over School Ratings That Omit Minorities’ Performance,” The Wall Street Journal online, Mar. 7, 2018 08:00am