Education chief says teacher strikes ‘ultimately hurt kids’

By COLLIN BINKLEY
May 6, 2019

BALTIMORE (AP) — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said Monday that recent teacher strikes have “ultimately hurt kids” and that labor disputes should be handled outside the classroom.

DeVos made the comments in Baltimore while speaking at a conference for education journalists.

Teachers from West Virginia to California have walked out of classrooms in recent months to protest working conditions and call for better benefits. Many have demanded changes including higher pay, smaller class sizes and more classroom funding.

When asked if she supports teachers who have gone on strike, DeVos said she thinks “great teachers need to be well-paid,” but that issues should be resolved without disrupting school instruction.

“I think it’s important that adults have adult disagreements on adult time, and that they not ultimately hurt kids in the process,” DeVos said. “I think too often they’re doing so by walking out of classrooms and having arguments in the way that they are.”

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