Trump’s education secretary tries to steer millions in coronavirus relief aid towards private schools

Betsy DeVos announces that she plans on making it a federal rule ‘in the next few weeks’

US education secretary Betsy DeVos is going ahead with a policy that will move some federal coronavirus relief from public schools, to private schools.

Initially, coronavirus relief was sent out to states, with education officials directed to divide the money between institutions, based on how many low-income students attended.

The new policy, which Ms DeVos announced in April, takes money that was initially intended to help low-income students at public schools, and gives some to students at private schools.

Some of the funding given to public schools, is now directed to go to private schools, based on the total number of students, and not just on how many low-income kids attend.

The proposed policy has been criticised by education leaders, but Ms DeVos announced that she plans on making it a federal rule “in the next few weeks,” according to Reuters.

The Council of Chief State School Officers criticised the decision, and said that it will give an “inequitable amount of funding” to private schools.

The council added that the new policy could “significantly harm the vulnerable students who were intended to benefit the most.”

Indiana’s superintendent of public instruction, Jennifer McCormick, wrote on Twitter that she would be dispersing the funding to those who need it the most.

“I will not play political agenda games with Covid relief funds. Our most at-risk students depend on this commitment,” she said.

Ms DeVos defended her decision and wrote in a letter that private schools have also been “overwhelmed” by the pandemic, and added that some have been forced to close, according to the outlet.

“These school closures are concentrated in low-income and middle-class communities,” Ms DeVos added.

“I would encourage educators everywhere to be as concerned about those students and teachers as they are with those in public schools.”