Education

The Hill reports: New Education Secretary Betsy DeVos defended the Trump administration’s decision to rescind protections for transgender students, arguing that the protections were an “overreach” of the Obama administration. “This issue was a very huge example of the Obama administration’s overreach, to suggest one-size-fits-all, federal government approach,” DeVos said on Thursday at the conservative conference CPAC. DeVos was initially …

The New York Times reports: President Trump rescinded protections for transgender students that had allowed them to use bathrooms of their gender identity, overruling his own education secretary and placing his administration firmly in the middle of the culture wars that many Republicans have tried to leave behind. In a joint letter, the top civil rights officials from the Justice …

Law Newz reports: There is now a draft copy of a document circulating that shows the potential Trump administration reasoning for backing off the Obama policy regarding transgender bathroom use. The Obama administration’s contends that Title IX prohibits the discrimination on the “basis of sex” to include a requirement that facilities provide people access to bathrooms based on the sex …

The New York Times reports: A fight over a draft order that would rescind protections for transgender students in public schools has erupted inside the Trump administration, pitting Attorney General Jeff Sessions against the secretary of education, Betsy DeVos. Ms. DeVos initially resisted signing off on the order and told President Trump that she was uncomfortable with it, according to …

Politico reports: White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday that the Trump administration will be issuing “further guidance” on a former Obama directive aimed at protecting the rights of transgender students. “The president has maintained for a long time that this is a states’ rights issue and not one for the federal government,” Spicer said. “So while we have …

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: Despite pleas from parents of transgender children and LGBT employees, the Trump administration is set Tuesday to rescind Obama-era guidance to schools barring discrimination against transgender students and ensuring they have access to the restroom consistent with their gender identity. Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, told the …

Ben Winslow reports at the Salt Lake Tribune: A bill introduced in the Utah State Legislature may help get the state out of a lawsuit over a law that forbids discussion of anything construed as “promotion” of homosexuality. Senate Bill 196, sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Stuart Adams, R-Layton, “repeals language prohibiting the advocacy of homosexuality in health instruction.” “It …

Has she ever been to a public school before? The Hill reports: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was greeted with protesters when she tried to enter a Washington middle school on Friday morning. A video from the scene shows DeVos walking away from one entrance of Jefferson Middle School after being physically blocked from the entrance. One protester stood in front …

The New York Times reports: The Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos on Tuesday as education secretary, approving the embattled nominee only with the help of a historic tiebreaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence. The 51-to-50 vote elevates Ms. DeVos — a wealthy philanthropist from Michigan who has devoted much of her life to expanding educational choice through charter schools and …

The Washington Post reports: The Senate is moving toward a noon vote Tuesday on confirmation of Betsy DeVos as education secretary, with the outcome expected to be the narrowest approval of a Cabinet nominee in the nation’s history. The entire Democratic caucus of 48 senators is expected to vote against DeVos, as are two Republicans, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and …

Mic.com reports: Democrats pulled an all-nighter on the Senate floor Monday to try and block Betsy DeVos from becoming secretary of the Department of Education, assailing her credentials — or lack thereof — in an effort to convince their GOP colleagues to vote against her nomination. One by one, Senate Democrats took to the floor throughout the night to make …

Mother Jones reports: Senate Democrats have announced a plan to hold the Senate floor for the next 24 hours to speak against President Donald Trump’s pick for education secretary, Betsy DeVos. “In my mind, she is the least qualified nominee in a historically unqualified cabinet,” Sen. Chuck Schumer said from the floor on Monday. “On conflicts of interest, she ranks …

Reuters reports: The U.S. Senate could vote as early as Monday on confirming President Donald Trump’s pick for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, with the political parties potentially entering a standoff requiring Vice President Mike Pence to act as tie-breaker. On Friday morning, the Senate voted 52 to 48 on a procedural measure paving the way to the final confirmation vote, …

The Chronicle Of Higher Education reports: Jerry L. Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University, has been asked by President Trump to head up a new task force that will identify changes that should be made to the U.S. Department of Education’s policies and procedures, Mr. Falwell told The Chronicle on Tuesday. The exact scope, size, and mission of the task …

ABC News reports: President Donald Trump’s nomination of Betsy DeVos to be education secretary was sent today to the full U.S. Senate for confirmation on a tight 12-11 party line vote in committee after a fractious debate over her qualifications. The vote on the nomination of DeVos, a controversial figure in Michigan politics and education, raised hackles among Democrats in …

It appears that the anti-LGBT activist who wants to run America’s schools copied her homework. The Washington Post reports: President Trump’s nominee for education secretary, in written responses to questions from senators, appears to have used several sentences and phrases from other sources without attribution — including from a top Obama administration civil rights official. The responses from nominee Betsy …

In advance of tomorrow’s Senate vote on the confirmation of Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos, YouTube comedian Vic Berger has created a supercut of the many times DeVos smiled broadly as she dodged direct questioning during her hearing. Watch it. The Washington Post today reports on the last-minute push to reject her: More than 300 state lawmakers hailing from all …

Yes, you read that right. Vox reports: Donald Trump’s nominee for education secretary said during her Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday that local authorities should decide whether guns should be barred from American schools — citing the case of a school in Wyoming where a special fence protects students from bears. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy asked Betsy DeVos to explain …

The Senate confirmation hearing for billionaire anti-LGBT activist Betsey DeVos has been delayed by one week. NPR reports: DeVos’ hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, but late on Monday night the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions committee announced it had been delayed until Jan. 17, next Tuesday. The move comes after Democrats had raised concerns about the wealthy philanthropists’ incomplete …

The New York Times reports: Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced a plan Tuesday morning to offer free tuition at state colleges to hundreds of thousands of middle- and low-income New Yorkers, seizing on a popular liberal talking point on the eve of national Republican ascension. Under the governor’s plan, any college student who has been accepted to a state or …