Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has said she has no authority to decide whether grant money can be used to arm teachers, and she left the matter to states. But a memo from her agency’s legal counsel says “the Secretary has discretion” to interpret the statute governing the funds.
By Laura Meckler Laura Meckler Reporter covering national education policy and trends, and the Education Department Email Bio Follow April 10 at 6:57 PM Education Secretary Betsy DeVos refused to say yes — or no — when asked last year whether schools could use federal money to buy guns for teachers. She said the law was vague and she couldn’t take a side.On Wednesday, House Democrats released an internal Education Department memo that showed the matter was viewed differently inside the agency.
The question of arming teachers has proved emotional following deadly school shootings. Many Democrats, teachers unions, education groups and gun-control activists say weapons in classrooms will make schools more dangerous, not safer. But President Trump and gun rights supporters argue that arming teachers would “harden” schools, making them less likely targets for shootings.
“You have the authority, if you so choose. Read the memo,” Hayes replied. “I would like to submit these documents for the record so that the secretary has the ability to read the memo that came from her office.”After the hearing, DeVos spokeswoman Liz Hill did not dispute the authenticity of the document but said it was a not a “decision memo” for the secretary.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
DeVos refused to bar federal money for guns in schools, but internal memo said she couldEducation Department attorneys said last year that the agency could block states from using federal grants to buy guns for schools, even as Secretary Betsy DeVos claimed she was powerless to do so
Read more »
Democrats take aim at Betsy DeVos' $5 billion school choice proposalCNN News, delivered. Select from our newsletters below and enter your email to subscribe.
Read more »
Analysis | Let’s fact-check this Betsy DeVos tweet about Trump’s $5 billion school tax credit proposalAnalysis: Let’s fact-check this Betsy DeVos tweet about Trump’s $5 billion school tax credit proposal
Read more »
Analysis | Why can’t Betsy DeVos give a direct answer to a direct question?Analysis: Why can’t Betsy DeVos give a direct answer to a direct question?
Read more »
21 states to DeVos: Stop blocking our efforts to crack down on student-loan companiesIn a letter, nearly two dozen attorneys general argue a policy quietly implemented by the Department of Education is ‘harming student-loan borrowers nationwide’
Read more »
DeVos 'not familiar' with affirmative action guidance her agency scrappedBetsy DeVos told a House panel Wednesday that she is 'not familiar' with affirmative action guidance for schools that the Trump administration rescinded last summer
Read more »
States say DeVos is hurting efforts to police student loan servicersThere's a fight brewing between states and Education Sec. Betsy DeVos over who has the power to police student loan servicing companies as consumer advocates question whether the federal government is doing enough to protect borrowers from shady practices
Read more »
Betsy DeVos says she knew about potential harms when she rolled back Obama-era protections for transgender students“I do know that,” DeVos said. “But I will say again that [Office for Civil Rights] is committed to ensuring that all students have access to their education free from discrimination.”
Read more »
'Seeing the unseeable': Scientists reveal first photo of black holeIn simultaneous news conferences in Washington, Brussels, Santiago, Shanghai, Taipei and Tokyo, the world was shown first-ever photo of a black hole
Read more »