Richmond, VA – After the report that Governor Youngkin has appointed McKenzie Snow, former policy director for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Special Assistant to President Donald Trump to be the Deputy Secretary over K-12 education, Virginia Democrats held a virtual press conference to highlight the damaging policies enacted under Snow in the Trump administration and Governor Youngkin’s continued war on our public schools.
“This appointment is extremely concerning because of the far-right policies she enacted and the damage she did to our public schools while serving in the Trump administration," said DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker. “The point is, this far-right anti-public school policy has no place here in Virginia. Governor Youngkin has shown his true intentions with this appointment and unfortunately, Virginia students and our public schools are the ones that will suffer.”
“Governor Youngkin isn’t the education Governor he promised everyone he’d be–in fact, he’s quite the opposite,” said Delegate Elizabeth Guzman. “That is why the appointment of McKenzie Snow is so concerning. As Chairwoman Swecker laid out, Mckenzie Snow’s policies in the Trump administration were far-right attacks on our public schools that: defunded our public schools, gutted important protections to students, and only helped a privileged few. Republicans have defunded public education for 20 years while they were in control and Youngkin is showing that he is continuing that path. ”
“As an educator, I believe every student deserves an education that expands horizons, empowers critical thinking, and recognizes our past,” said Senator Ghazala Hashmi. “Ms. Snow’s time in the Trump administration was spent abetting racial and gender identity discrimination in America’s schools, promoting the siphoning of public school funds in favor of elitist private schools, and allowing predatory for-profit schools to rip off vulnerable students and their families. Bringing this destructive legacy to Virginia will only harm our students and schools, and in turn, Virginia’s future.”
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