This article speaks about Trump’s recent selection for his Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her work on the Detroit school system. Betsy Devos is a large proponent for a charter school system and has been a large political player in turning many of Detroit’s public schools into independently run charter schools. She has extraordinary power as a lobbyist and campaign financier to influence Detroit’s educational politics.  Detroit is referred to as the city with the loosest regulation on schooling and as the article says a, “chaotic mess” and the, “worst-performing in the nation.” The charter school system is supposed to privatize the public school system and bring funding into the schooling system of Detroit or any city it is supposed to be in. However, many of these schools are underfunded and unsuccessful. There is a disproportionate amount of schools in cities rather than the “poorest, most remote neighborhoods, where most students live.” One of the more compelling objections to her policies and record is, “She is committed to an ideological stance that is solely about the free market, at the expense of practicality and the basic needs of students in the most destabilized environment in the country,” The article mainly gives insight into the poor record of the new appointee and possible ideological stances on educational reform and privatization of public education.

 

 

This article details the full inclusion of women into the United States armed forces in December 2015. This requirement has opened roughly 220,000 military jobs to women and women are now be able to serve in all combat jobs that, until this time, had only been open to men. While combat restrictions had previously allowed women to serve in combat zones, they also prevented them from officially holding these positions, which are a necessary step in career advancement. By not properly recognizing their service, the military restrictions unfairly held these women back. 

 

The decision to fully integrate women into the armed forces defied the Marine Corps, which, after performing a yearlong study and coming to the conclusion that gender integration would diminish fighting ability, requested an exemption from the full integration of women.  Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter overruled this exemption, stating that the military should operate within a consistent set of standards. 

 

While many, in addition to the Marine Corps, have voiced their concerns about integration, Mr. Carter maintained that women are required to meet the same physical requirements of men in the position, and military leaders are now required to assign jobs and tasks based solely on ability, and not gender. 

 

“When I became secretary of defense, I made a commitment to building America’s force of the future… In the 21st century that requires drawing strength from the broadest possible pool of talent. This includes women.” 

A quote from Mr. Carter on December 3, 2015 during his announcement of the full integration of women into the United States armed forces.