Youngkin Names Former Trump Administration Official Who Worked For Betsy DeVos, Was Research Fellow at Charles Koch Institute, as VA Deputy Secretary of Education

The Youngkin administration’s assault on public education continues.

“Gov. Glenn Youngkin has appointed McKenzie Snow — a former Trump official and aide to one-time U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos — as Virginia’s deputy secretary of education, the administration confirmed.”

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“Without a shadow of a doubt, they take money away,” said James Fedderman, president of the Virginia Education Association, one of the state’s largest teachers unions. “And then public schools are left being told to operate as if they had all the funds they were supposed to have.” He described Snow’s appointment as another effort to undermine the state’s public schools, pointing to her support for voucher programs — another school choice initiative — as a research fellow for the Charles Koch Institute.

Snow should fit in well with Youngkin’s other education picks, including:

• Glenn Youngkin Tries *Really* Hard For an Even Worse Pick Than Andrew Wheeler. That’s Right: Faaar-Right Elizabeth Schultz for Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction!
• Virginia NAACP “Outraged” at Gov. Youngkin, Says Superintendent of Public Instruction Balow Has “declared war on teaching accurate American History”

And, of course, let’s not forget Youngkin’s education-related initiatives so far:

• Virginia Association of School Superintendents Slams Youngkin’s Assault on Diversity; Warn It Could “set public education in Virginia back many years”; Says “the tip line needs to be terminated”
• Appalling: Youngkin Administration Moves to Eliminate “Inherently Divisive Concepts” From Public Education; Dems Rip His “inherently divisive” “racist agenda,” “whitewashed history and fake news”
• VA Senate Majority Leader Says Youngkin Administration Report on Eliminating “inherently divisive concepts” From Virginia Public Schools Is “Chilling”
• What Is There To Hide? Governor Youngkin Refuses To Share “Tip Line” Emails
• Video: VA Del. Marcus Simon Says Youngkin’s “Tip Line” Is “Scary to Those of Us Who Have Studied History,” Represents “Creeping Authoritarianism” Where Citizens “Rat Each Other Out”
• “Pretty much every education group in the state is calling on Youngkin to rescind EO 1 and shut down the tip line.”
• Under the Guise of “School Choice Week,” Gov. Youngkin Wages War Against Public Schools

Bottom line: Youngkin’s going to a lot of damage in four years, but we can limit it by making sure that Democrats keep control of the State Senate next year and also take back the House of Delegates. Let’s make sure we get that done!