Kaine, enough with the drama, work with DeVos

One of the most important issues

in education today is the children whose schools are not meeting their unique needs. Thousands of families — many of them Latino — see their children stuck in schools that do not prepare them to succeed in today’s competitive marketplace.

Many kids are able to graduate, but find out that with a poor education, they are not equipped to succeed and build their American dream. And despite billions in new taxpayer dollars being targeted to improve schools, many students are still being left behind.

It’s no wonder that more and more families are pushing to expand school choice programs — like so many other states have done. They recognize that when people have a greater opportunity to choose the schools that best serve their children’s needs, their kids do better. It’s a win-win, especially for Latinos and other minorities, who are disproportionately locked into our state’s poorest schools.

That’s why it’s shameful for Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., to compare those who support expanding school choice to segregationists, as he recently did in an effort to score political points against recently confirmed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Such specious accusations diminish the real suffering of those who truly deal with racism. Kaine should try to better understand the challenges that many families face, and the failure of our elected officials in Washington to implement policies that will help.

Secretary DeVos has defended the right of parents to choose the learning environment that’s best for their children. That’s an approach that holds promise, and Kaine should be prepared to work with her, rather than resorting to nasty, personal insults.