Education Secretary Betsy DeVos encountered protesters Friday morning outside a D.C. middle school and found her way barred as she tried to enter through a side door, forcing her to retreat into a government vehicle as a man shouted "Shame!"
Eventually, DeVos got inside Jefferson Middle School Academy for an event starting at about 10 a.m. that included the D.C. schools chancellor and others. The event was closed to the media.
Shortly before noon, as DeVos's school tour appeared to be winding down, she appeared at the top of the steps outside the school's main door to make a brief statement to reporters.
"It was really wonderful to visit this school, and I look forward to many visits of many great public schools, both in D.C. and around the country," she said. She later released a statement: "I respect peaceful protest and I will not be deterred in executing the vital mission of the Department of Education," she said. "No school door in America will be blocked from those seeking to help our nation's school children."
Before DeVos arrived, several dozen parents, teachers and others had gathered to show support for public schools.
Elizabeth Davis, president of the Washington Teachers Union, said the union was supporting teachers concerned about the visit. "We want to share the message that we love our public school system," Davis told reporters. "Public education teachers believe that public education is the cornerstone, it's the foundation of our society."
A teacher from a D.C. charter school, who declined to be named, carried a sign that said: "Ms. DeVos: Our children are not props."
"Betsy DeVos does not represent our students or our families here in D.C.," the teacher said. "She doesn't have our best interests at heart."
Arne Duncan, who was Secretary of Education from 2009 to 2105, tweeted about the visit, “Agree or disagree w @BetsyDeVos on any issue, but let's all agree she really needs to be in public schools. Please let her in.”
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D.C. Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson, who took office himself on Feb. 1, told reporters after the event that he and DeVos talked to teachers, students and administrators and had an opportunity to see Jefferson's "dynamic classroom instruction."
Wilson said he wanted to make sure DeVos appreciates that the district proudly serves all students, and spoke to her about the importance of strengthening public schools. He also said he appreciated the protesters who spoke up on behalf of public schools.
"I think that one of the great things about our country is it provides opportunities for people to express themselves," he said. "Our democratic republic only works with an educated populace and public school systems serve everyone, educate everyone. I think it's great that families come out and others come out and make sure we do everything we can to protect it. I say thank you to those folks who did that."
The vast majority of protesters were peaceful. One was arrested for assaulting a police officer, according to a D.C. police spokeswoman. A handful were involved in blocking DeVos from entering Jefferson, while some others attempted to block a government car from entering the street in front of the school.
DeVos is a billionaire who has spent three decades lobbying for private school vouchers, charter schools and other alternatives to traditional public schools. She was one of President Trump's most controversial Cabinet picks. Her confirmation vote was a tie; Vice President Mike Pence broke the tie to confirm her. Her supporters call her a bold reformer, while opponents fear she will seek to undermine public schools by funneling taxpayer funding to private and religious schools.
On Thursday, DeVos visited Howard University, a historically black university in the District that receives special support through federal appropriations every year. But the reception at Jefferson shows the difficulty DeVos faces in winning the trust and confidence of those who opposed her confirmation.
According to several staff members, teachers at the school were upset by her visit and planned to wear black to show their feelings.
One staff member at Jefferson said that she and many of her colleagues are troubled by DeVos's decades-long campaign to promote vouchers as a way to escape from public schools that work hard to serve all students. She said she feared that the new education secretary would use Jefferson students - most of whom are African American and come from low-income families - for a photo op to burnish her image.
The staff member, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the media, said she was "horrified" when she heard DeVos was coming to Jefferson.
During the Obama administration, D.C. public schools were frequent backdrops for Education Department events and appearances by the president and first lady. But that felt different, the staff member said. "Obama was not rooting against the very essence of what we are," she said.
Another Jefferson staff member said she spent the first part of the week calling senators to urge them to vote against DeVos. It was surreal, she said, to know she was coming to visit. "I really fear for our students' future and the future of our schools and communities," she said. "Her belief in privatization without equal accountability leaves high-needs students behind."
She said she hoped Jefferson would show DeVos how positive, loving and strong a public school can be, and to show her that teachers care fiercely about their students. "It's about letting her know that anybody seeking to jeopardize our students is going to have to go through us," she said.
Jefferson, a few blocks from department headquarters, is five years into a turnaround effort and is often cited as an example of the systemwide improvements in the city's public schools.
D.C. Public Schools was once among the nation's lowest-performing urban school districts, but in recent years has won widespread attention for making rapid progress as judged by scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The District has been a laboratory for the philosophy of choice in education, in part because of its status as a federal district over which the federal government exercises great influence. The growing charter school sector - which exists because of legislation Congress passed in 1995 - now enrolls nearly half the city's public-school students, and the nation's only federally funded voucher program - created by Congress in 2004 - helps more than 1,000 children attend private and religious schools at taxpayer expense.
While many advocates believe that the competition has been fruitful, providing families with options and encouraging the school system to improve, others argue that the rapid growth of charter schools has undermined efforts to improve neighborhood schools and left parents scrambling to win citywide school enrollment lotteries.
Lyndsey Medsker, the parent of two students in Brent Elementary, which feeds into Jefferson, said it was the "perfect place for the new secretary to see first-hand a public school that fell victim to the chaos of charters and a fervor for school choice."
"Today, thanks to a dedicated administration, impressive teaching staff and community support, the school is rapidly improving," Medsker said. "But, to make public schools like Jefferson 'great again,' if you will, they need a commitment from Secretary Devos and support from D.C.'s mayor and city leadership. It's time for all politicians to stop using quality schools as photo ops and to really invest in neighborhood public schools."
Medsker did not plan to join the crowd as she didn't want to appear to be protesting DeVos. She said now that DeVos is confirmed, she should be welcomed into public schools so she can learn why they are important and deserving of her support.
DeVos is a billionaire who has spent three decades lobbying for private school vouchers, charter schools and other alternatives to traditional public schools. She was one of President Trump's most controversial Cabinet picks. Her confirmation vote was a tie; Vice President Mike Pence broke the tie to confirm her. Her supporters call Devos a bold reformer, while opponents fear she will seek to undermine public schools by funneling taxpayer funding to private and religious schools.
On Thursday, DeVos visited Howard University, a historically black university in the District that receives special support through federal appropriations every year. But the reception at Jefferson shows the difficulty DeVos faces in winning the trust and confidence of those who opposed her confirmation.
According to several staff members, teachers at the school were upset by her visit and planned to wear black to show their feelings.
One staff member at Jefferson said that she and many of her colleagues are troubled by DeVos's decades-long campaign to promote vouchers as a way to escape from public schools that work hard to serve all students. She said she feared that the new education secretary would use Jefferson students - most of whom are African American and come from low-income families - for a photo op to burnish her image.
The staff member, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the media, said she was "horrified" when she heard DeVos was coming to Jefferson.
During the Obama administration, D.C. public schools were frequent backdrops for Education Department events and appearances by the president and first lady. But that felt different, the staff member said. "Obama was not rooting against the very essence of what we are," she said.
Another Jefferson staff member said she spent the first part of the week calling senators to urge them to vote against DeVos. It was surreal, she said, to know she was coming to visit. "I really fear for our students' future and the future of our schools and communities," she said. "Her belief in privatization without equal accountability leaves high-needs students behind."
She said she hoped Jefferson would show DeVos how positive, loving and strong a public school can be, and to show her that teachers care fiercely about their students. "It's about letting her know that anybody seeking to jeopardize our students is going to have to go through us," she said.
Jefferson, a few blocks from department headquarters, is five years into a turnaround effort and is often cited as an example of the systemwide improvements in the city's public schools.
D.C. Public Schools was once among the nation's lowest-performing urban school districts, but in recent years has won widespread attention for making rapid progress as judged by scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The District has been a laboratory for the philosophy of choice in education, in part because of its status as a federal district over which the federal government exercises great influence. The growing charter school sector - which exists because of legislation Congress passed in 1995 - now enrolls nearly half the city's public-school students, and the nation's only federally funded voucher program - created by Congress in 2004 - helps more than 1,000 children attend private and religious schools at taxpayer expense.
While many advocates believe that the competition has been fruitful, providing families with options and encouraging the school system to improve, others argue that the rapid growth of charter schools has undermined efforts to improve neighborhood schools and left parents scrambling to win citywide school enrollment lotteries.
Lyndsey Medsker, the parent of two students in Brent Elementary, which feeds into Jefferson, said it was the "perfect place for the new secretary to see first-hand a public school that fell victim to the chaos of charters and a fervor for school choice."
"Today, thanks to a dedicated administration, impressive teaching staff and community support, the school is rapidly improving," Medsker said. "But, to make public schools like Jefferson 'great again,' if you will, they need a commitment from Secretary Devos and support from D.C.'s mayor and city leadership. It's time for all politicians to stop using quality schools as photo ops and to really invest in neighborhood public schools."
Medsker did not plan to join the crowd as she didn't want to appear to be protesting DeVos. She said now that DeVos is confirmed, she should be welcomed into public schools so she can learn why they are important and deserving of her support.